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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28196949">Make No Apologies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pi_Dreams/pseuds/Pi_Dreams'>Pi_Dreams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Apologyverse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Chaotic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Courtroom Drama, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Are Twins, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders-centric, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kid Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Kid Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Kid Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, M/M, Protective Deceit | Janus Sanders, Tags May Change, The Author Regrets Nothing, Thinly Veiled Criticism of Society, parental logicality</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:55:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28196949</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pi_Dreams/pseuds/Pi_Dreams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A third of the Earth's population has inexplicable, uncontrollable powers known as Affinities.  For as long as anyone can remember, they have been dangerous, little better than talking animals.  The laws are there for everyone's safety.  </p><p>Sometimes, protection does more harm than good.</p><p>Logan Sanders has a respectable job, a respectable husband, a respectable son, and one horrific secret.  He has three more hidden children, all of whom are Affinities.  </p><p>Patton Sanders has finally found a man who loves him despite his powers, and he'll do anything he can to hold his family together.</p><p>Roman and Remus Sanders have never known a life outside their sheltered home.  They know they have powers, and they know that doesn't make them any less.</p><p>Virgil Sanders just wants everyone to get along and let him be.</p><p>Janus Sanders will do whatever it takes to keep his brothers safe.  Even if it means sacrificing himself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Deceit | Janus Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders &amp; Deceit | Janus Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Apologyverse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue- October 7, 2009</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone!  A couple notes before this gets going- this is obviously a work of fiction.  I dramatize things because it's fun.  That said, if you don't support the Black Lives Matter movement, this may offend you.  I'm also going to talk about homeschooling as normal and/or positive, so if that irritates you, you may not want to read this.  Boring serious stuff aside, this should update pretty quickly because I've written it all, though the chapters vary wildly in length.  Any pertinent triggers will go in the notes, either beginning or end depending on spoilers.  Have fun reading!</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: mentions of human experimentation, food mentions</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Logan Sanders watched anxiously from the doorway as Patton finished brushing his teeth and hair.  He hated this day every month.  He hated it because he didn’t know what happened when Patton went in to the lab.  He hated it because his Patton wasn’t an artifact to be studied.  And he hated it because it always reminded him of how very broken the world was.</p><p>“Don’t look so gloomy,” Patton said.  “I’ll be fine.  When have I ever not been fine?  Just remember you’re picking Janus up from school.”</p><p>“There is a sixty percent chance of harassment of unaccompanied Affinities downtown and a twelve percent chance of arrest, even if it is illegal.  Patton-”</p><p>“Oh, hush.  You know I always have my papers on me and I’ll text you if I get in trouble.  Don’t worry so much, Logan.  I’ll be back in time for dinner.”  Patton smiled and kissed him, then ran downstairs.  The ugly tattoo on his cheek glinted menacingly in the light.  But despite his husband’s cheer, Logan just couldn’t stop worrying.  </p><p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>“So then,” Janus said hours later, throwing his backpack in the car and flopping into his seat, “he called me a dirtface.  I was going to punch him, but the teacher was looking, so I just said, ‘Yeah, so?’  and when she turned around I threw a bunch of mud in his face.”  In his carseat, Virgil hummed happily to himself, trotting his plastic dinosaurs around on the window ledge.</p><p>“Janus, you really shouldn’t-”</p><p>“They have it out for me, Dad.  I don’t even know what he means by dirtface.  Maybe if I hit them hard enough they’ll leave me alone.”</p><p>“Janus,” Logan said, “fighting is never acceptable.  I understand that you feel the need to defend yourself, but please, don’t fight.  Studies show-”</p><p>“Take that!” yelped Virgil, smashing his Stegosaurus into his Brontosaurus.</p><p>“I’m not going to jail because I threw mud at a bully, Dad.  Calm down.  What’s for dinner tonight?  Is Daddy Patton bringing it home or-”</p><p>“Pizza.  Do you want your abomination again?”</p><p>“Right, it’s that day.  And Hawaiian isn’t an abomination, it’s delicious!”</p><p>“Fruit should not be put on pizza.”</p><p>“Says you.”  Janus settled back in his seat with a contented sigh and was quiet the rest of the way home.  As he slammed the door shut, though, he looked up at his father.  “Dad, what does ‘dirtface’ mean?”</p><p>“It’s an insult born out of ignorance and prejudice.  Patton’s an Earth Affinity and some people believe that makes him less than they are.”  Logan put Virgil on the ground and handed him the dinosaurs back again.  “There you go, Virgil.”</p><p>“Oh.  Okay.”  Logan knew Janus wasn’t totally satisfied with the explanation, but he let it pass.  </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p>The pizza arrived before Patton, and Logan was checking his phone every few moments for a text.  Just as he was getting ready to call, the door opened and his husband walked in.  “Daddy Patton!” Virgil yelled, jumping up from the rug and running to throw his tiny arms around his father’s legs.  “You’re late!  Daddy Logan was worried!”</p><p>“Sorry, Virge,” Patton said softly, patting the four-year-old’s dark hair.  “You know you got a pizz-a my heart.”</p><p>“Da-ad,” moaned Janus.  “No bad puns!”</p><p>“What can I say?  I’m just naturally punny.”</p><p>“Dad!”</p><p>Patton smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.  “Yeah, I know.  I’m too cheesy even for pizza night.  Did Daddy Logan get our pizza tonight, JayLo, or was he a purist again and refuse because it has fruit?”  Virgil and Janus laughed, Logan handed out plates, and everything went back to normal.  </p><p>By eight thirty, Virgil was tucked in for the third time and Janus was reading quietly for a few minutes before going to his room.  “What happened?” Logan asked as he dried the last plate and stacked it in the cabinet.  “You seem distressed.”</p><p>Patton shrugged.  “They’re going to require Affinities to wear identification at all times in case of ‘incidents’, whatever that means.  And they’re going to start testing in schools.”</p><p>Logan stared at him for a long time, then sighed.  “I do not understand this systematic persecution.  Janus, it’s bedtime.”  Janus stuck out his tongue in protest, but got up and started towards his room.  Right before the door, he stopped, turned back to his parents, and asked a question that made both men’s hearts freeze in their chests.</p><p>“What’s so bad about Affinities?”</p><p>Thunder boomed.  Virgil started to scream.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. November 8, 2017</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Note the chapter title!  We've jumped eight years into the future!  I'll be using the titles to keep track of time, so scanning those may be useful.  (I did say I was updating this quickly, didn't I?)</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: none?  Let me know if I need to add any.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Remus peeked around the corner.  Janus and his dads were sitting at the kitchen table, staring at a textbook.  He’d woken up and heard the arguing, so of course he had to see what was happening.  When he’d tried to wake Roman, his twin had just rolled over and covered his head with a pillow.  Admittedly, eavesdropping with his brother was more fun, but any eavesdropping was better than none.</p><p>At the table, Janus growled in frustration.  “No, you don’t understand me!  Conscientious protesting and writing letters isn’t changing anything!  When’s the last time Virgil left the house?  When’s the last time Roman or Remus went outside after dark?”</p><p>“Virgil and I went to the post office yesterday-” Daddy Logan started, but Janus cut him off.</p><p>“That’s not what I meant!  How long has it been since he’s had a friend?  I can’t remember him going on a single playdate when we were little.  Not one!  Damn it-”</p><p>“Janus, language, please-” Daddy Patton said, standing and reaching out a comforting hand.  Janus rocketed to his feet and slammed his hands on the table, knocking into the light above him as he did.</p><p>“To <em>hell</em> with it!  You know what I see every time I look at Virgil’s face?  I see a lonely little boy who’s never had a friend and who’s terrified of his own shadow.  He’s so scared of making a mistake, he flinches every time there’s thunder!  The fear isn’t going to make his Affinity go away, it’ll make it worse!”</p><p>“To be fair, the twins did-”</p><p>“Oh yes, let’s talk about the twins,” snarled Janus.  In the light from the swinging chandelier, half his face was covered in writhing, unearthly shadows.  Remus shivered.  Janus was a lot of things, but never scary.  Not enough to scare him, at least.  He’d watched that whole zombie movie without hiding under the blankets once.  Okay, until his dads got home and started yelling.  But now, his older brother was making his gut clench in fear.  “Let’s talk about why you all actually<em> flinch</em> at Remus’ shadow and why Roman can’t be near so much as a <em>candle</em>-”</p><p>“Janus!”  Daddy Logan snapped, catching sight of Remus in the shadows.</p><p>“Oh, hi there, Mr. Green,” Daddy Patton said.  “What are you doing up?”</p><p>“Nightmare,” Remus said.  “And I need a drink of water.”</p><p>“All righty, Duke,” Janus said, filling Remus’ favorite cup and handing it to him.  “Do you want me to come tuck you in?  Chase away the monsters?”</p><p>“The monsters are my best friends,” Remus informed him.  “I like the monsters.  Did you know that I’m a werewolf?”</p><p>“No, sweetie,” Daddy Patton said.  “You can tell me all about it in the morning.”</p><p>Remus yawned.  “‘S true.  I dreamed Roman was putting a silver hat on me and it melted me like the witch and then I was a puddle and it hurt awful and then I woke up.  Do you dream you’re a werewolf, Janus?”</p><p>“No,” Janus said after a pause.  “No, I don’t.”</p><p>Remus finished the water and Janus and Daddy Patton tucked him back in.  The light caught a funny tattoo on Daddy Patton’s cheek, two rectangles falling apart, and Remus was reminded he’d wanted to ask about it.</p><p>“Dad, what does the thing on your cheek mean?”</p><p>Daddy Patton touched it gingerly.  “I’ll tell you in the morning.  Get some sleep, little wolf.”</p><p>Remus smiled.  Little wolf indeed.  Then his brother and dad left and everything was quiet again.  Across the room, Roman’s form was glowing softly red.  Remus looked down at the faint green sheen on his own hand and sighed, tucking it under the pillow.  His eyes fluttered closed, but just before he went back to sleep, Remus’ lips parted gently.</p><p>“To hell with it,” he whispered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. November 9, 2017, Morning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!  I decided to break this chunk up into two pieces, so there will be two updates again today.  The plot has officially started!</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: some gruesome imagery, mentions of death, food mentions.  The narrator is kid!Remus, after all.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Janus?” Daddy Logan called.  “Janus, breakfast!”  There wasn’t an answer, not even a muffled shout of “Busy!”  Remus looked up from his pancakes and frowned at Roman.</p><p>“Do you think he got ate by a bear?”</p><p>“Got eaten, Remus.  Janus!” Daddy Logan called again.</p><p>“No!” Roman squealed.  “He didn’t get ate by a bear!”</p><p>“Roman, didn’t you hear?  Got eaten, not got ate.  Janus, where are you?”</p><p>“Outside?” Virgil offered quietly.  “We were planning a tree house.”</p><p>Remus grinned.  “Yeah, and then we were gonna play pirates and he said I could make Roman walk the plank!”  He twirled an imaginary mustache and pointed a crooked finger at his brother like a hook.  “Be a pirate or die, matey!”</p><p>“I would never be a pirate.  I would be a prince and save the princess the pirate captured!”</p><p>“Yeah, but you would be off the plank and then the crocodile would eat you, munch crunch squish.  Guts everywhere!”  Remus waved the syrup bottle in the air to demonstrate.  “Plus, then your intestines would drag through the water like pink worms and the piranhas would chomp them while you screamed!”  He waved the syrup some more for emphasis.</p><p>“Is this really a table conversation, Remus?” Daddy Patton asked, taking the syrup from Remus’ hand and drizzling way too little over his own pancakes.</p><p>“Sure!” Remus chirped.  </p><p>“You are so gross,” Virgil muttered to his plate.</p><p>Daddy Logan came back in the house.  “He’s not outside.  Janus!  Janus Lothur Sanders, where are you?!”</p><p>“Someone’s in trouble now,” Remus whispered to Roman.  </p><p>“Shh!” Roman hissed back.</p><p>Daddy Logan knocked on Janus’ door, and then he went in, but Janus wasn’t there.  </p><p>“Try calling his phone,” Daddy Patton offered.  </p><p>“Thank you, Patton.  I'm... not thinking clearly, it seems.  Boys, you should go outside and get some fresh air.  The Vitamin D created in the presence of sunlight can-”</p><p>They all ran off before he could finish.  Unfortunately, outside wasn’t very comfortable.  “I w-want b-back inside,” Virgil said through chattering teeth.  “C-cold out h-here.”</p><p>“We can be yetis!” Remus said suddenly.  “Come on!  We can hunt for food and then we can kill it and we can have houses and things!”</p><p>“You can be a yeti,” Roman said.  “I’m a brave warrior who fights monsters!  Have at thee, yeti!”  He brandished an imaginary sword.  Remus held his hands up.</p><p>“Wait!  What’s Virgil?”</p><p>“A h-human ice c-cube, I th-think.”  Virgil started hopping from one foot to the other.</p><p>“That’s boring!” Remus complained.  “Be something good, like another yeti!”</p><p>“That’s not fair,” Roman pointed out.</p><p>“Okay, so he could be a scary werewolf!”</p><p>“Or a fair maiden,” suggested Roman.</p><p>“No he can’t.  Virgil’s not a girl.”</p><p>“I c-can t-too b-be a g-girl if I w-want t-to,” chattered Virgil.</p><p>“Do you?”</p><p>“N-no.”</p><p>“See?  No maiden.”</p><p>“H-how about I’m a m-monster f-frozen in ice who w-will f-fight the v-victor?” Virgil offered, his entire body shaking.  The twins stared at him in awe.</p><p>“Virgil-” Roman started.</p><p>“- that’s a great idea!” finished Remus.  They grinned at each other.</p><p>“En garde, monster!”  </p><p>Remus roared in response and lunged for his brother.  Within ten minutes, the battle had become a slapfight that even Virgil was taking part in, laughing.</p><p>“Virgil!” Daddy Patton gasped, looking up at the sky.  The clouds were starting to darken and gather.  Immediately, Virgil wrenched out of Remus’s hands and hurried inside, muttering “Sorry” as he went.  Remus and Roman watched as he disappeared and the clouds went back to normal.  They stood there together until a light, freezing cold rain started to fall and they had to go inside.</p><p>It wasn’t hard to rope Virgil into a game of Sorry, and they spent the next half-hour contentedly bonking each others’ pieces all around the board.  Virgil grinned triumphantly as he moved his last piece into Home.  “And I win.”</p><p>“Play again?” Roman asked, shuffling the cards for a second round.  </p><p>“Not right now, Princey.  But there’s a documentary on Rome that Daddy Patton wanted you to watch.  I can get it set up upstairs if you want.”</p><p>“Fights to the death!” Remus hissed.</p><p>“Okay!” Roman agreed.  “Lead on, noble Virgil, to this trove of learning.”</p><p>Remus could have sworn he saw Daddy Patton give Virgil a grateful nod as they went by.</p><p>The documentary was pretty good, if Remus was honest.  They didn’t show the gladiators dying, but the revolts and assassinations were cool.  Halfway through, he noticed Virgil had fallen asleep on the couch, made eye contact with Roman, and pointed to the stairs.  Roman nodded and led the way to the best hiding spot on the landing.</p><p>“He’s not answering!” Daddy Logan said.  “He’s gone!”</p><p>“He left a note,” Daddy Patton replied.  “I found it under his pillow.  ‘I, Janus Sanders, have left the house of Logan and Patton Sanders of my own free will.  I have gone to make the world a better place for everyone.’”</p><p>“That’s a dumb note,” Roman whispered in Remus’s ear.</p><p>“‘P.S.  Tell V and the twins I love them.  P.P.S.  I dropped my phone in the creek, so don’t try to call or text me.’”  Daddy Patton crumpled up a paper and sighed.  “Logan…”</p><p>“I will call the police,” Daddy Logan said.  “I can… call friends, neighbors, maybe one of them will have seen him.”</p><p>“Remus Connor and Roman Evander, you get in here right now!” Virgil hissed.</p><p>“Shut up, <em>Virgil Maro</em>,” Roman snapped in an undertone.  “Janus is gone, okay?”</p><p>“What?” Virgil crawled in next to them, his normally pale face even whiter with shock.  “Janus is what?”</p><p>“Gone,” Daddy Patton groaned.  “Gone!”</p><p>“Most runaways his age return within twenty-four hours,” Daddy Logan said, but he sounded worried too.</p><p>“Oh no,” whispered Virgil, but Roman smacked him on the arm and gestured frantically to his eyes.  They had gone bright blue and Remus winced.  If Virgil didn’t get his Affinity under control… but in a few breaths, Virgil’s eyes were their normal brown again.  The shoulders of Remus’ shadow slumped in relief.  </p><p>“How’s the movie, boys?  Still good?” Daddy Patton yelled up the stairs.  Remus froze, and for once Roman came to the rescue.</p><p>“Yes, so don’t interrupt it, Dad!”</p><p>“Sorry!” </p><p>“Close one,” Roman muttered.  “So what are we going to do?”</p><p>“What?”  Remus frowned at his twin.</p><p>“About Janus.  What are we going to do?”</p><p>“What can we do?” Virgil hissed.  “We’re not like Dad, our Affinities are obvious.”</p><p>“We’re leaving the house?”  Remus shook his head.  “Do you know how much trouble we’ll be in?”</p><p>“Since when did you worry about getting in trouble, Duke?”  Roman poked him in the side.  “All the villains broke the rules.  It’s practically required.”</p><p>The end credits started playing.  “Shoot,” Virgil whispered.  “Come on.”  He led the way back to the couch.  Remus’ shadow waved at him as he left the hiding spot.  He waved back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Can anyone guess the meanings for their middle names and/or why I chose them?  I'm particularly proud of Janus'.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. November 9, 2017, Afternoon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have to say, I am overwhelmed by the support this is getting.  This fic has been up for twenty four hours and I'm blown away.  Also, I can't believe I haven't mentioned this before, but if you like social justice superpower fics, patentpending's Powerless is amazing.  And the fic that set this one in motion is ManyFandomsOneLog's What You Can Stand.  They're both really good reads- and re-reads- and you should totally check them out!  Sorry, this got long.  Love you all!</p>
<p>~Dreamer</p>
<p>TWs: mentions of cannibalism, gross imagery.  Don't we just love small excited Remus?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Between them, Daddy Logan and Daddy Patton seemed to have developed telepathy.  They didn’t leave Virgil, Roman, or Remus in a room together all afternoon without supervision.  “Come on, boys, out,” Daddy Patton ordered when he found Virgil and Remus huddled in the shoe closet.  “Shadowling, can you empty the dishwasher, please?  And Wolflet, I need help checking on the broccoli.”</p>
<p>“We were playing hide and seek, Dad,” Virgil griped, but after sharing a long-suffering eye roll with Remus, he headed off to the kitchen.</p>
<p>“Dad,” Remus said sternly, “do not call me Wolflet.  It sounds like chicken cutlet.  ‘We’re having fried Wolflet tonight, yummy!’”  He mimed biting down on his own arm and licked his lips.  “Unless you are planning cannibalism, in which case you should kill Roman.  I think he’d be the tastiest and I want to try people meat.  I wonder if it’ll taste like chicken?”</p>
<p>Daddy Patton’s face went through an interesting series of contortions and color changes before he finally spluttered “No, Remus!  We are not eating your brother!  We are not eating anyone!”</p>
<p>“I’ve always thought plants were sentient.”  Remus poked at a tiny broccoli head.  “How else would they know to face the sun?  I wonder if it hurts when we pick them and eat them.”  He plucked a leaf off a mint plant and started chewing on it.  “Like that.  Did the plant scream in pain?  Is it like losing an arm or a leg, do you know?  Maybe it’s like when lizards lose their tails.  Ooh, or when starfish lose their arms.  Did you know they can detach them and regrow them?  Janus told me.  I thought it was cool.  Is sap plant blood, do you know?  I think it is, but don’t aphids eat sap?  Oh my god, are aphids plant vampires like Bunnicula?  So cool!”  He crouched down and stared at the rock border of the garden bed, looking for ants.  “Ants farm aphids.  They eat the sweet stuff the aphids make.  I think it comes out their butts.”  Then a wonderful thought struck him.  “Ants eat plant-vampire poop!  That is awesome!”</p>
<p>“If you say so, buddy.  How was the documentary?  Did you learn anything?”</p>
<p>“Um,” Remus said, scrabbling for the bits of information he had that weren’t drowned out by Janus’ disappearance.  “There was a slave revolt led by a guy called Spartus-”</p>
<p>“Spartacus, but close.  What about it?”</p>
<p>“Well, he and his makeshift army held out for… a long time before the Romans smooshed them.  They lined an entire road for about forty miles with their corpses!  And then Emperor Nero burned people alive to light his garden at night!  I think the screams would make talking hard, but maybe everyone was so used to it they didn’t notice.  I would have liked to see it, but they didn’t show a picture.  I guess they didn’t have cameras.  Dad, are you okay?  You look sick.”</p>
<p>Daddy Patton did actually look a bit green around the ears, and he’d buried his fingers in dirt, whether for comfort or because the rest of him was about to follow, Remus wasn’t sure.  “I’m fine, little wolf.  What do you think we should do for art tomorrow?  We could work on our mosaics, or we could paint with watercolors.  I can’t decide.”</p>
<p>Remus screwed up his face in thought.  “I don’t know.  Maybe I should ask Roman?”  It was a desperate attempt.</p>
<p>“Roman and Daddy Logan are reading Edward Tulane, buddy.”  Daddy Patton reached down and ruffled Remus’s hair.  “Mosaics or watercolors?”</p>
<p>“Mosaics.  I guess.  Dad, where did Janus go?”</p>
<p>The hand stopped ruffling immediately.  “He went… for a walk?”</p>
<p>“Long walk.  Come on, Dad, be honest.  You know I can handle it!”</p>
<p>“Sweetie, Janus ran away from home.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“… I don’t know.”</p>
<p><em>There it is again! </em>Remus thought.  <em>The evasion, the pauses.  He knows why Janus left.  If only he knew where he was...</em></p>
<p>“I miss him.  Virgil can’t build a tree house on his own.”</p>
<p>Daddy Patton laughed.  “No, he can’t.”  But when Remus looked up at him again, his face was lined and solemn.</p>
<p>The boys finally managed to escape their fathers’ watchful eyes after dinner and immediately fled to Roman and Remus’s room.  </p>
<p>“Thank goodness,” Virgil sighed from his perch on the twins’ dresser.  “I thought I was going to be doing chores forever.”</p>
<p>“You had math homework too,” Roman said, throwing his pillow in the air.  “And you helped with dinner.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t help.”  Virgil swung his long, skinny legs back and forth, bumping the drawers with his heels.  </p>
<p>“Lettuce spinning is great!”</p>
<p>Remus agreed, but he couldn’t force himself to say anything.  He was staring at the empty spot on the Lego chest where Janus always sat.</p>
<p>“Remus?  Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Remus nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged, then sighed.  “He’s supposed to be here.  It was his turn to pick the movie.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.  He and I were arguing last night about it.”  Virgil looked up at them from under the hood of his shirt.  “He wanted to watch a movie I didn’t think you two should see.  It seems stupid now, you know?  Like if we hadn’t argued, he’d still be here.  Janus,” he said to the ceiling, “Coraline is still way too scary a movie but we can watch it if you come home.”</p>
<p>They waited for a moment, but nothing happened.  “Well,” Remus said eventually, “it’s not like he’s dead or anything drastic.  I mean, his mangled corpse <em>could</em> be lying half-frozen in a gutter somewhere, but it seems <em>unlikely</em>.”</p>
<p>“No,” Roman half-said, half-asked.  “Where there’s life, there’s hope, right?”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>“Oh no,” Virgil hissed.  “No, no, no.  You two are not traipsing off into the night to find him.  We don’t even know where he is!  And night is dark, remember?  You <em>glow</em> in the dark.  They will find you and catch you and they will lock you away in a little tiny cage and then they’ll come for Dad and me, too.”</p>
<p>“Well, we haven’t actually made a plan yet,” Roman informed him.  “We have to do that first.”</p>
<p>“You’re not doing it alone.”</p>
<p>“Okay, so come with us.”  Remus glared at his older brother.  “Unless you don’t really want Janus back after all.”</p>
<p>“Fine.  But if we end up dead or worse, my ghost will haunt your ghost.”</p>
<p>“Well, my ghost will scare your ghost so bad your ghost will forget to haunt my ghost!” Remus threatened.</p>
<p>“My ghost won’t associate with either of your ghosts unless they behave,” Roman said primly.  They both stared at him, and then the twins started laughing.  Virgil had to content himself with a smirk.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. November 15, 2017, Evening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!  I had no idea where to break this one, so there's weird chapter lengths.  Double posting is apparently a normal thing as well, so be on the lookout for that.  Other than that- welcome to exposition central.  Thank you so much for reading; your support means the world to me.</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: food mentions, police mentions, cruel and unusual punishment/treating people as animals mentioned- I think that's it?  Let me know if there's something else, please!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over the next week, the three snuck away whenever they could, poring over Google Maps on Virgil’s phone and discussing where they would sleep and eat.  Finally, after dinner on the sixth night since Janus disappeared, they had a location.</p><p>“A rogue Affinity calling himself Deceit has begun terrorizing Aster County,” the news anchor said.  “Last night, he broke into the Aster County jail in Freemont, freeing three undocumented Affinities and destroying many registration records.  Affinities who have been registered in Aster County should come to the municipal building to check their accounts.  Guardians, if the files of any of the Affinities in your household have been compromised, you will need to renew them.  This process is expected to take several weeks, and residents should be aware that Affinities on the streets without a registration on record will be detained until they are re-registered again.  The culprit has not yet been apprehended, though police say they are well on the way to establishing a trace.  Matt, is there any further information on his whereabouts?”  The camera flipped to a man standing outside a police station.</p><p>“Thank you, Ashley.  The search for this ‘Deceit’ is challenging, I have to admit.  I’m here with Chief of Police Todd Jamison to discuss the efforts being made.  Mr. Jamison, what can you tell citizens about Deceit?”</p><p>“I’m going to get some ice cream,” Daddy Logan announced.  “You boys want some?”</p><p>“Please,” they chorused, and then the two adults left the room just as the chief started talking.</p><p>“We know he’s unregistered, for a start.  Since the Affinities Act of 2009, registered Affinities are required to be tattooed on their right cheek with their Element symbol, but this ‘Deceit’ has none.  We’re currently running facial recognition software to identify possible candidates.”  </p><p>A photo captioned ‘Deceit- Rogue Affinity in Aster County’ flashed up on screen, and Virgil, Roman, and Remus could only stare at each other.  It was Janus.  He’d painted half his face in greeny-gold scales, put a bunch of pinkish eyeshadow around his eye, which was now a weird green color, and added a wiggly scar on his cheek for good measure, making him look a little like a snake, but it was obviously still Janus.  There was no hiding the wry twist at the corner of his mouth.</p><p>“What Element and powers is Deceit associated with, Mr. Jamison?”  the news anchor asked.</p><p>“Well, it’s a little complicated.  As you know, the Element of an Affinity can’t usually be determined without rigorous testing.  Our experts suspect either Air or Fire, as Deceit shocked several policemen unconscious when they touched him.  He seemed to display no other abilities, but again, we can’t really know.  If you see this individual, on no account approach him.  Please call 911 or the police station immediately.”</p><p>“Thank you, Matt.  Thank you, Mr. Jamison,” the first reporter said.  “And what do you think of the rumors that Deceit is not an Affinity at all but-”  The television switched off suddenly.</p><p>“Ugh,” Daddy Patton said from the doorway.  “They’re hunting down some poor kid just trying to get his mom back again, I bet.  Just wait, he’ll have covered the tattoo with fake scars or something and will turn out to be from Meadow Hill.”</p><p>“This entire scenario is ridiculous,” Daddy Logan said, passing out bowls of chocolate ice cream.  “Arresting people for walking down the street in broad daylight.  They should press unlawful detainment charges.”</p><p>“Yup,” said Daddy Patton.  “That would be great.  Pity they can’t.”  He saw Roman watching him avidly and changed topics immediately.  “Boys, eat the ice cream at the table.  Ol’ Cracker Jack, I want your help with the laundry.”</p><p>“The laundry?” Daddy Logan said.  “Of what help could I possibly be with the laundry?”</p><p>“It’s getting really shirty with me!”</p><p>Roman snickered at the joke, but Remus sighed to his melting ice cream and Virgil rolled his eyes.  “Dad.  Really.”</p><p>“Now don’t get your panties in a wad-”</p><p>“That’s it, I’m eating at the table.”  Virgil left, Remus and Roman trailing him.  When they got to the table, though, Virgil pulled three chairs close together and started whispering in between bites of dessert.  “Freemont.  That’s only about twenty miles away from here.  We can probably walk it in about three days, or we can get Dad to drive us.  We can say we want to go to the library or something.”</p><p>“He’ll watch us the whole time, though,” Roman sighed.  “Stay together and whatever.  Unless Daddy Patton took us.  He would probably be okay with the buddy system.  We could ask him to drive.”</p><p>“You’re an idiot!” Virgil hissed.  “Daddy Patton can’t drive!  Have you ever actually seen him do it?  Ever?”</p><p>“I thought he didn’t want to,” Roman muttered mulishly.  “Like why he doesn’t go to work like Daddy Logan.”</p><p>“He can’t go to work!”</p><p>“Well, if he did we’d have to go to regular school,” Remus said, stirring his ice cream into a thick, muddy blob.</p><p>“Daddy Patton can’t drive and can’t have a job because he’s an Affinity, Roman.  Not because he doesn’t want to.”</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“Look, I was looking it up last night, and Affinities are actually a different species.  We’re Homo sapiens sapiens affiliensis, even though genetically we’re the same as regular people.  But we can’t drive cars, and we can’t have jobs, and we have to register and then check in with the authorities every month.  Affinities get <em>arrested</em> for walking down the street after dark without an escort!  We can’t own property, or have bank accounts, or- or vote, even.  And if we so much as step a toe out of line, we end up shipped off to prisons in the middle of nowhere where they try to ‘cure’ us of our own brains!  They refitted and reopened Alcatraz two years ago, don’t you remember?  Just for people like us.  And if you want to spend the rest of your life alone in a windowless box with a glass wall for viewing like an animal, being poked and prodded and tested, with a taser cuff on your ankle so you ‘can’t hurt anyone’, then fine.  Be my guest.  But I don’t want to be someone’s lab rat.  Hey!  Give that back!”</p><p>He snatched at Roman, who had stolen his phone and pulled up a YouTube video of Janus speaking.</p><p>“My name is Deceit,” Janus said to the camera.  “And I’m here to expose the lies you tell yourselves every day.  I am an Affinity, I know other Affinities, and I’ve seen the genetic test results with my own eyes.  Affinities are fully and totally human.  We love, we live, we die just as others do.  All we ask is to love, live and die with the same freedoms as everyone else.  We want to vote.  We want to own our own houses, and go to the same schools.  We want to stand in the same bus lines.  All we ask is to be recognized as human.  Is that so much?  Or will you continue to force kids to hide in fear of who they are when they could use those skills to make the world a better, kinder, more inclusive place?  Will you continue to lock them away and pay for them to be turned into curiosities?  Free the children.  Fight with me.”</p><p>“Okay,” Roman said, face white with horror.  “Okay.  So what are we going to do?  Won’t they lock Janus up if they catch him?”  </p><p>“Well, he’s not really an Affinity,” Remus said.  “Maybe not?”</p><p>“Oh, he’ll go to jail, all right,” Virgil said darkly, removing the phone from Roman’s limp fingers and tucking it away.  “For a very long time.”</p><p>“Virgil,” Roman whined, his eyes wide.  “You’re just scaring us, right?  Janus wouldn’t really be hurt?”</p><p>“Don’t count on it,” said Virgil, and stood up.  “Well.  We have to get to Freemont.  I don’t think Janus is going to be there in another week, so we’ll have to drive, which means telling Daddy Logan that we need to go.  And we’re going to have to tell him why, because he is not going to just take us.”</p><p>“You don’t know that for <em>certain</em>,” Remus said around his spoon.  He pulled it out of his mouth with a wet <em>pop! </em> “<em>Maybe</em> he would because he thinks it’ll distract us.”</p><p>“Or <em>maybe</em>,” Virgil sneered, “he’ll say that it’s too dangerous.  After all, I don’t know for <em>certain</em> he wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Chill, Robert Downer Jr.,” Roman said.  “Connor was only trying to help.”</p><p>“Connor?!”  Remus twisted to stare at his twin.  “Why are you calling me Connor?”</p><p>“Because we’ll have to go in disguise.  We can’t use our real names.  They attract attention.  So you’re Connor, I’m-”</p><p>“Evan,” Virgil said.  “You absolutely can’t use Evander.”</p><p>“It’s a very princely name!”</p><p>“It’s a very weird name.  Evan is common.”</p><p>“It’s boring!”</p><p>“Then nobody will notice it.  Connor, Evan, and Mark.”</p><p>“Oh, I get it.  Maro to Mark.  Okay,” Remus said.  “Do you think Daddy Patton would be mad if I got more ice cream?”</p><p>“Yes,” Virgil told him.  “So when do we leave or how do we tell them?”</p><p>Remus opened his mouth, but just then he heard the footsteps of their returning dads.  “Talk later when they’re in bed,” he hissed, and ran up to Daddy Patton.  “Can I have more ice cream?  Extra special please with a coronary on top?”</p><p>“I believe the phrase is a cherry on top, Remus.  A coronary is a narrowing of the arteries in the heart, which can lead to a heart attack.”  Daddy Logan adjusted his glasses.</p><p>“I know what I said.  Please?”</p><p>“You’ve had enough, Remus.  Put your bowl in the dishwasher.”</p><p>“But Roman had more than me!”</p><p>“Enough whining, Remus!  You heard what your father said.  Now put away your dishes and get ready for bed!”  Daddy Logan gave him a stern glare.  “Virgil, Roman, you too.”</p><p>“But I didn’t even do anything,” Roman said mournfully.  Under Daddy Logan’s gaze, however, he withered and slunk over to the sink.  “Why did you have to mess it all up, huh?” he whispered to his twin.  Remus shot him an indignant glance.</p><p>“Mess it up?  I didn’t do anything!”</p><p>“You made Dad mad.”</p><p>“He was mad already!”</p><p>“Shut it, you two,” Virgil hissed.  “You’re not babies, don’t act like it.”  He reached between them to rinse his bowl, then vanished into his bedroom.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. November 15, 2017, Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ah, chapter six.  In which I relive the glories of being eight- although I was a little more interested in the business end of medieval weapons than siege warfare.  Also, consistent chapter length?  Who's that, never met them.</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: mentions of serial killers and death, temporary minor u!Roman and u!Virgil.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was ten thirty according to the clock on the twins’ wall when Virgil slipped into their room.  “I thought they’d never go to bed.  Are we running or asking for help?” </p><p>Remus rolled over groggily and squinted at his brother.  It was the first time he’d actually been able to sleep in his own bed since Janus left.  “Wha?”</p><p>“<em>Janus</em>, Remus, come on.  Are we running away to find him or are we going to ask for help?”</p><p>“Go away,” Roman muttered.  “I need my beauty sleep.”</p><p>“Well, <em>that’s</em> going to be a long nap, R.I.P. Van Winkle,” Remus yawned, shoving himself upright.  “I vote we hitchhike.”</p><p>“No!” Virgil said immediately.  “Do you know how dangerous that is?  We could be kidnapped or found out, and besides, it’s not even a reliable method!”</p><p>“Bus.”</p><p>“What?” both Virgil and Remus asked, turning to Roman, whose sleepy frown was highlighted with his red glow.  </p><p>“We take the bus, Panic! at the Everywhere.  Unless you think there’s going to be a serial killer hidden under the seat.”</p><p>“If there <em>was</em>,” Remus said, “I could ask him if he wet the bed a lot when he was little!  Statistical probability in favor of a male.”</p><p>“Wet the-”</p><p>“It’s called the Macdonald Triad!  Bedwetting, cruelty to animals, and minor arson can indicate that someone will grow up to be homicidal.  I would think that killing people would be a more reliable test, but maybe not.”</p><p>“Kill- what is wrong with you?”  Remus flinched back from Virgil’s glare.  “You’re just- if you can’t say decent things, don’t say anything at all, <em>Wednesday Addams</em>.  What are you going to do, test gravity by dropping a baby?”</p><p>“But it’s-”</p><p>“Shut <em>up</em>, Virgil’s right.  You’re always gross, Remus.  Why can’t you be pleasant for a change?”</p><p>Remus choked back his anger, flipped over, and shoved his pillow over his head.  For Virgil to get mad at him was one thing… but Roman?  His twin?  It was a betrayal worse than Benedict Arnold!  He missed Janus.  Janus always listened to what he had to say, and talked with him about cool things, like eyeballs and medieval executions.  He didn’t <em>want</em> Remus to like butterflies and love and stupid things!  Sometimes Janus even helped Remus with his collection of toothpick siege weapons or his illustrated book of poisons and their effects.  Virgil and Roman never helped with his projects.  “We were supposed to finish the trebuchet,” Remus whispered into his sheets.  “And then we were going to make a tiny castle and storm it and throw dead cows over the walls.  Tiny dead cows.  You promised, Janus!”  Roman jumped on him and shook him.  “Go away.”</p><p>“Do you have five bucks?”</p><p>“If I did, I would have skinned them and tanned the hides and made awesome shoes.”</p><p>“Five <em>dollars</em>.  Do you?”</p><p>“I have my birthday money still.”</p><p>“How do you not spend it for months?”  Roman rolled off him.  “Never mind.  We’re going to catch the bus tomorrow morning, so we should have lots of time to find Janus.”</p><p>“Can’t do that.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Tomorrow’s Thursday, Tweedledumb.  School’s in session.”</p><p>“Right, I forgot.  Then we have to wait till Saturday, and that’s way too long!”</p><p>“We can go at three thirty,” Virgil said.  “We’ll even blend in.”</p><p>“But then it’ll be late when we look for him.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“It’s dark by six thirty, Virge.  Remus and I glow in the dark?  It’s the reason you can see right now?”</p><p>“We could cover up,” Remus said.  “It’s cold, right?  So we can wear long sleeves and gloves and hats and hoods and whatever, and we could borrow some of Virgil’s foundation to put on our faces.  If we paint it over, it might help with the glow.”</p><p>“That’s not a bad plan,” Virgil said.  “If I had foundation.”</p><p>“You totally do, I saw it on your dresser.”</p><p>“Why were you in my room, Remus Connor?”</p><p>“Maybe because Janus left his hat in there and we went and got it.  No, wait, we were actually putting frogspawn in your desk- ugh, don’t <em>look</em> at me like that.  We weren’t doing anything nefarious, Virgil.  Chill.”</p><p>“Did you really-”</p><p>“No, Princey.  I know heroes are dense, but they can’t be <em>that</em> dense or even the incompetent villains would win.”</p><p>“Who are you calling-”</p><p>“Gah!”  Virgil dug his fingers into his scalp.  “Can you two stop acting like utter idiots, <em>please</em>!  We have a job to do and it doesn’t involve stupid bickering all the time!  Bus station at three thirty.  We can do that.  Now I’m going to bed.  Good <em>night</em>.” The door snapped shut behind him.</p><p>“Remus-”</p><p>“Night, Roman.”</p><p>“Remus-”</p><p>“I said good night.”</p><p>“Good night, Remus.”</p><p>“Hmph.”  But he smiled anyway, facing towards the wall so Roman wouldn’t see.  “Good night.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Creepy fact- did you know that while dead cows were not used as biological weapons, plague corpses were?  The contemporaries thought that the stench killed people.  </p><p>Also, I can confirm that as a homeschooler it is almost impossible to remember when public school is in session and when it's not and how to blend in.  I was in middle school before I ever had a Monday holiday, and in third grade when I had my first spring break.  They were both very confusing to me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. November 16, 2017, Part One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm labeling the next four chapters parts one through four because they all take place right on top of each other.  My personal Roman has abandoned me for parts unknown.</p>
<p>~Dreamer</p>
<p>TWs: gross imagery, mild anxiety attack- let me know if there's any more!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Virgil shivered next to Remus despite the spare sweatshirt of Janus’s he’d thrown on over his usual hoodie and long sleeved shirt.  “Why does it have to be this cold out?”</p>
<p>“Meh,” Remus said, looking up at a streetlight.  “It’s not that cold.  You probably won’t get hypothermia and die frozen stiff.  Do you think I’d splatter all over the ground if I tried to climb the post?”</p>
<p>“Yes.  Come on, Roman, we have to hurry!”</p>
<p>Roman looked up from his reflection in a puddle.  “I look stupid with paint on my face.”</p>
<p>“Yup,” Remus agreed, fisting his hands in his pockets.  The tip of his nose itched so bad and all he wanted to do was scratch it, but he couldn’t afford to mess up the foundation.  They’d brought some just in case, but he still wasn’t supposed to touch it.</p>
<p>“Come on!  They’re going to figure out we’re not in the back yard any second now!” Virgil urged, chivvying his little brothers forwards.  They shared an exasperated glance, but quickened their pace down the hill.  </p>
<p>“Look at it this way, Virgil.  You won’t be cold!”</p>
<p>“How are you always so infernally cheerful, Roman?”</p>
<p>“Oh, he’s not,” Remus said.  “He’s just trying to get on your nerves.”</p>
<p>“Well, stop it.”  They speedwalked past the Sam’s Club before Remus, a little out of breath, motioned for them to slow down.</p>
<p>“We look suspicious.”</p>
<p>“I feel suspicious.  They’re all watching us.  I bet they know us.  They’ll call Daddy Logan.  Or the cops, that’d be worse.  I bet they’re calling the cops now.”</p>
<p>“Shut up and walk, Doomsday Book.”</p>
<p>“You can’t have stayed awake through Daddy Logan’s exposition on the Domesday Book, Ro.  Even I was falling asleep, and I was playing with clay under the table.”</p>
<p>“Wasn’t that the census they took before Jesus was born?  ‘In those days Caesar Augustus sent out a decree’ yadda yadda?”</p>
<p>“No, it was William the Conqueror.”  Remus shoved his gloved hands back in his pockets.  “But it was a census.”</p>
<p>“Okay, dude.  How do you know that?  Are you becoming a tiny walking encyclopedia now?  Because there’s already one of you in the house.”</p>
<p>“I hang out with Janus.  He likes history.  So we talk about history and also things I find cool.”</p>
<p>“Like what, how to rip out eyeballs with your bare hands?”  Roman made a retching noise.</p>
<p>Remus shrugged.  “Yeah, pretty much.”</p>
<p>“You know what Daddy Patton says.  An eye for an eye-”  But Virgil’s lecture was cut short once again; Remus did not have the patience to sit through it.</p>
<p>“Leaves the whole world monocular and sporting gross brown fingernails.  Oh look, we’re here.”</p>
<p>The bus station was noisy, dirty, crowded, loud, and utterly chaotic- in short, the sort of place Logan and Patton would never have taken any of the boys except maybe Janus, ever.  Remus loved it.  For one, nobody looked at them twice.  They were invisible, which was strange but also great.  “They’ll never find us in here,” he hissed to Virgil, who swallowed.</p>
<p>“We’ll get lost and never get home again, Rem-”</p>
<p>“Connor, call me Connor!”</p>
<p>“Connor.”</p>
<p>“Get in line, boys, don’t gawk!” a lady clutching a tiny black Chihuahua snapped.  The dog yapped threateningly at them and wiggled its little legs frantically to get down.  “You’d think you’d never seen people before!”   </p>
<p>Virgil, who stood head and shoulders taller by dint of his four years seniority, scanned the crowd quickly and led Remus and Roman to the shortest line he could find.  When they got to the booth, though, the whiskered man at the counter frowned.  “Affinities only, kids.  Don’t you read?  You want three through seven to the left.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, kind sir,” Roman said.  “We are most grate- ow!”  He glared at Remus, who had stomped as hard as he could on his brother’s sneakered foot.  </p>
<p>“Don’t be an idiot, <em>Evan</em>,” he said.  “Sorry, sir.”</p>
<p>They ducked under the rope and got in line at the back of a giant press of chattering humans.  Virgil’s hand was very tight on Remus’s, and he looked up to see his brother’s face drawn and white.  “You good, Mark?” he whispered, squeezing back.</p>
<p>“I… don’t like… the crowds.  They’re making me… twitchy,” Virgil finally forced out.</p>
<p>“You’ll be okay.  We won’t be here long.”  Remus squeezed again for good measure as they shuffled forwards.  “Keep holding onto me, okay?  We’re doing it for Janus.  Be brave for Janus.”</p>
<p>“Like a knight facing down a dragon!” Roman suggested.  “They were scared.  Fearless is stupid.  Brave is being afraid and fighting anyway.”</p>
<p>“Yeah!  So fight like a dragon!  Come on, play Twenty Questions with me?”  By the time Roman had guessed Remus’ idea (a funeral urn) and Virgil had finally told them that his thing was bigger than the fridge, they were at the front of the line.  </p>
<p>“Where to today, boys?” the cheery lady behind the plexiglass asked them.  </p>
<p>Virgil held on to Remus’s hand so hard he thought it might break, but managed to stutter out, “Freemont, please.  Three tickets.”</p>
<p>“All righty.  And how old are you?”</p>
<p>“Twelve, eight, and eight,” Virgil said slowly.  </p>
<p>Her smile didn’t even flicker.  “That’s three kids tickets then.  Eleven dollars and fifteen cents, please.”  Somehow, Virgil disentangled his hands long enough to hand over their fifteen dollars and take the tickets and change.  “Have a nice day!” she chirped after them.</p>
<p>The tickets said Bus Three at four o’clock, so they found the bus and squeezed onto one bench near the back.  Remus jostled against the wall.  “Ouch,” he hissed to Virgil, who shrugged.</p>
<p>“Sorry.”</p>
<p>The seats were cracked blue vinyl with bits of yellowed foam stuffing poking out, and the whole bus smelled like dirt and diesel exhaust and chewing gum and sweat.  “The sooner we’re out of here the better,” Roman muttered.  Remus had to agree.  Finally, with a great belch of black fumes, the engine started and they were on their way.  Remus fell asleep ten minutes in, lulled by the steady growling and rattling of the bus over the road.  Virgil was holding on too tightly to Roman, who was in permanent danger of slipping off the edge of the seat every time they turned, to do the same, so he made a very nice pillow.  Better than the window, at least.  </p>
<p>“Connor, wake up.  We’re here.”</p>
<p>“Huh?”  Remus blinked bleary eyes open.  They had pulled into the Freemont station, which was if possible even more crowded than Oak Grove.  “Oh.  Sorry if I drooled on you.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine, you didn’t,” Virgil said, hauling him to his feet.  “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>The wind was freezing cold outside the station, and Remus pulled his hood up even farther and jammed his hands into his pockets.  He looked around.  There wasn’t any sign of Janus anywhere.  There weren’t any clues.  They had only brought enough money for the one-way trip.  And they hadn’t brought any food.  “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” he whispered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. November 16, 2017, Part Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one's short again.  Also, feel free to scream at me if necessary.  I promise to update tomorrow morning... *chuckles evilly*</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: hypothermia, food mentions, implied assumptions of homelessness</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Virgil didn’t let go of either of their hands as they walked the streets of Freemont, looking for a sign of Janus.  As night started to fall, so did a few flakes of snow, and then more and more, drifting around them and painting everything a dull grey color.  Remus sidled closer to Virgil, who had stopped shivering.  His nose and cheeks were bright red, but his lips had started to turn purple and he was tripping a lot.  “Virgil,” Roman whined as they stopped to peer into a restaurant window.  “I’m hungry.  Can’t we get something to eat?  Please?”</p><p>Virgil looked too tired to even tell Roman that they didn’t have much money.  He just nodded dully and retraced their steps to a McDonald’s.  The cashier scolded them for being out in the cold, but Remus didn’t care.  The chicken sandwich was hot and filling and he felt that it was probably the best thing he’d ever tasted.  “Eat slowly,” Virgil said.  “We can’t sit here with empty trays for long.”  They all nibbled at the sandwiches, making them last as long as possible so they could stay in the warm restaurant.  But eventually, the staff started giving them funny looks, and one asked if he should call their parents.  “No, thank you,” Virgil told him politely.  “Connor, Evan, come on.  We should wash our hands and stop taking up the table.”  As they were leaving, hands clean and back in their gloves, the cashier called out after them.</p><p>“You don’t have to go, boys.  It’s cold out there and it’s snowing.  We’re open a while longer.”</p><p>“No, thank you.  We should get home.”  And Virgil led them out into the spinning white flakes again.  </p><p>Remus shivered.  It felt even colder outside now that he’d had a chance to warm up in the McDonald’s.  Virgil was shaking again and even Roman was hunched and miserable-looking.  They wandered around a little more, looking for any sign of Janus, but came up with nothing.  The only good news was that the makeup was covering up Remus’ glowing skin and Roman’s as well.  They looked perfectly normal.  </p><p>“I’m tired,” Roman said eventually.  “We should find somewhere to sleep, it’s late.”</p><p>“Hold up here,” Virgil said, and they sat on the base of a lamp post in an abandoned parking lot.  “I’ll check the time.”  Remus poked at a clump of frozen grass sticking out of a crack in the asphalt.  It was probably warmer than he was, he thought unhappily.  The chicken sandwich seemed a very long time ago.  “Seven forty five.  Oh, damn.”</p><p>“You said a swear.  You have to wash the dishes tomorrow night.”  But Roman’s voice was listless as he picked at the knee of his pants with stiff, clumsy fingers.  </p><p>“I have twenty missed calls and a bunch of texts.”</p><p>“From Daddy Logan and Daddy Patton?” Remus looked up.  “You should ask them to come get us.”</p><p>“What about Janus?”  In the yellow, flickering glow of the light, Virgil’s breath formed golden clouds as he talked.  “We did all this for Janus.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m cold.  And hungry.”</p><p>“You just ate!”  Virgil stared at his sibling in dismay.  “You can’t be hungry again!”</p><p>“Well, I am.  I wanna go <em>home</em>, Virgil!  I miss Daddy Patton and Daddy Logan!”</p><p>“No no no, don’t cry,” Virgil hissed.  “You’ll wash off the foundation.  Here, I have some Skittles in my coat pocket!”</p><p>He did have a tiny pack left over from Halloween, and they split them.  It was only a few seconds before they were gone, though, and they were left staring out into the greyish snowy night.  “What do we do now, Virge?” Remus asked quietly.</p><p>“I don’t know.  I’m sorry, Remus.”  Virgil wrapped an arm around him.  “We should never have come.”</p><p>“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have,” a wonderfully familiar voice growled from the shadows.  </p><p>“Oh, <em>Janus</em>!” Roman screamed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. November 16, 2017, Part Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To everyone who celebrates: Happy Christmas Eve!  Have some angst!  To those who don't, have a good Thursday- and enjoy some angst.  There will still be two updates today, so have fun reading- and then come scream at me, because I totally deserve it.  Also, fun fact- bowler hats are called derby hats in the US for no comprehensible reason.</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: arguing, police mentions, crying</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Remus whipped around and forgot all about the cold.  There was Janus, striding into the light.  His black pants, capelet, and shirt and his bright yellow gloves all glittered oddly, and his face was still made up like a snake’s.  He wore a black bowler hat, almost invisible against the shadows.  “What were you thinking, Virgil?” he hissed.  “You know better than to come on some stupid little quest to rescue me.  What about the twins?  It’s No-effing-<em>vem</em>-ber, they can’t be wandering outside in the snow-”</p><p>“That’s a second bad word, you have to wash the dishes for two nights after Virgil,” Roman said, and Remus broke out of his trance.  He launched himself at his older brother, but instead of hugging him, Janus dodged out of the way.</p><p>“Don’t touch me, Duke.  I’ve got a current-carrying wire all through my clothes.”  </p><p>“So that’s how you did it.  I wondered.”  Virgil grabbed Remus and pulled him to his chest, crossing his arms protectively over the younger boy.  “Do you know how many innocent people are going to be in hot water because of that stunt?  <em>Faking</em> being an Affinity, Janus?  You could have been caught or worse, killed.  No, worse than that, Affinities just trying to live are going to be caught and killed or tortured for what you’ve done.”</p><p>“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Janus snapped, his voice rising.  “I did it for them!  Nobody listens to peaceful protesting or letters or anything Logan’s tried.  Well, maybe they’ll listen to us if the alternative is-”</p><p>“Logan?!  Since when did you start referring to our dad like that?”  Virgil was as close to shouting as Remus had ever seen him and his pulse was speeding up.  If he could have looked, Remus had no doubt his eyes were starting to go blue.</p><p>“Virgil…” he tried, but Janus cut him off.</p><p>“No, don’t tell him to stuff down the anger.  You get mad, little brother.  You get mad and then tell me- is it better to have the emotion or be afraid of it?”</p><p>Virgil took one long, slow breath, and then another.  “I’d rather have you back home where you belong.  Our dads are frantic, JayLo.  Even Daddy Logan’s been crying.  I know Remus hasn’t been sleeping in his bed half the time; he’s been sneaking up to your room.  I get you’re trying to save us, Janus, but you’re hurting us worse.”</p><p>“You don’t understand, V.  You deserve to grow up without that fear-”</p><p>“No, Janus, it’s you who doesn’t understand.  Maybe you’re too much of a snake to get it after all.  Come home, Janus.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Fine!”  Remus could feel Virgil shaking, though his voice was totally steady.  He pulled out his phone.  “Either I call Daddy Logan or I call the cops, Janus.  Don’t make me do this.”</p><p>“What, you think I’m scared of the cops?” Janus snorted.  “Never.”</p><p>“<em>Stop it!</em>” Roman screamed.  “Both of you, stop it!  Please, Janus.  You give up the Tesseract, you give up this poisonous dream.  You <em>come home</em>.”  Tears had started to wash away the foundation on his cheeks, leaving him with faint red stripes.</p><p>“Sorry, Princey, but no will do.  You be brave like Thor for me and take your brothers back.  I’m trying to make the world a better place for you.  All of you.  Okay?  I want you and Duke and V to go to school, real school, or be homeschooled because you want to.  I want to watch you in a play and I want to take Remus to a haunted house on Halloween night.  Virgil, you should be allowed to laugh and cry just as much as you want.  That’s what I’m trying to do.  I can’t come home.  I’m sorry.”</p><p>Virgil’s voice trembled a little as he spoke.  “I have to do it, Janus.  I’m sorry too.”  He dialed.  They could all hear the buzzing, and a cool female voice answered.  Remus couldn’t hear what she said.  </p><p>“Hello, I’m calling to report an unregistered Affinity in the parking lot by the old…” He squinted at the sign, then nodded, rattling off a string of answers.  “Dollar Tree.  Yeah.  No, it’s not.  He’s about thirteen.  His eyes were glowing blue.  Thanks, bye.”</p><p>“What,” Janus croaked, “have you done, Virgil?”</p><p>“I think it’s obvious,” Virgil said.  “I turned myself in.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>MWAHAHAHAHA</p><p>I'm getting coal in my stocking, folks.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. November 16, 2017, Part Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm back!  I felt bad leaving this too long.  Because of holiday celebrations, posting will be funky the next two days.  I'm hoping I can keep the same schedule, but in the worst-case scenario, there will be one update tomorrow morning and then two on Sunday as normal.  I will try not to leave a long break on a cliffhanger, because that's just mean.  (Also, if the stupid-o-meter goes from zero to ten, Virgil's clocking some elevens right about now.)</p>
<p>~Dreamer</p>
<p>TWs: arguing, police, very brief gun mention, minor disturbing imagery, food mentions.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Janus just sort of froze in place, staring.  “Why?”</p>
<p>“Take the twins home, Janus.  Call Daddy Logan and get them home.”</p>
<p>“Virgil, you’re-”</p>
<p>“Not going anywhere.  They’re looking for me, hadn’t you noticed?  Take Roman and Remus and go.  Home.  Or I guess they’ll get caught too.”  He pushed Remus away from him.  </p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Janus cried.  “They’re eight, they’re kids.  They deserve a <em>future</em>, a family-”</p>
<p>“You’ve already taught them that means nothing.”</p>
<p>“I’m trying to help!”</p>
<p>“And it didn’t work, admit it.  And go home.”</p>
<p>“The boys won’t have anyone-”</p>
<p>“The boys?  What am I now?  What are you?  Seventeen doesn’t make you an adult, Janus.”  Virgil’s thin frame was shaking in anger, his hands clenched by his sides.  Thunder rumbled quietly, as though in the distance. </p>
<p>“You’re twelve!” </p>
<p>“And apparently I’m more mature than you are.  Run, Janus.  Run and take the twins.  Go home or hide,  I don’t care anymore.  Just get out of here.”</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving you-”  Janus broke off as headlights flooded the entire parking lot with glaring white.  Remus threw up an arm to shield his eyes. </p>
<p>“You in the black coat,” a policeman called as they fanned out in a semicircle to surround the siblings.  “Come out with your hands up.”  They could all see Virgil swallow, then slowly step in front of Remus, hands coming up to brush his hood.  “And you, Deceit.  Same thing.”</p>
<p>Janus’s eyes flared furiously, but seeing the way several of the officers’ hands hovered over their guns, he did as he was told, walking to stand beside Virgil.  Roman sidled up to Remus and grabbed his hand, watching mutely as their brothers were shoved into squad cars, Janus in a rubber straitjacket and Virgil thankfully so far unrestrained.  It was very exposed in the bright open parking lot, and Remus found his hand holding a lot tighter to Roman’s than he would usually have liked.  One of the other officers, a fat man with a scruffy brown beard, came up to them and dropped to one knee.  “It’s all right, boys.  Nice deep breaths there.  You don’t need to be scared.  We’re going to call your mommy and daddy-”</p>
<p>“Don’t have a mommy,” Roman muttered to his shoes.</p>
<p>“Call your daddy, as soon as we get to the station, and then we might need to ask you a few questions.  Okay?  And then you can go home to your own beds.  Come on.  Have you ever ridden in a police car before?”</p>
<p>He kept up a steady stream of chatter as they drove back to the station, telling them all about his daughter, who was nine and who wanted to be a vet or an actor in a horror movie, and about her goldfish Werewolf, and more about potted plants than Remus had ever wanted to know.  He was very, very nice, but they were both too frozen with fear to answer any of his questions, though they were all innocent.  He asked about their favorite colors, if they had pets, if they had any other siblings, what they wanted to be when they grew up, and lots of other things that Remus couldn’t bring himself to focus on.  He could only imagine Virgil trapped in a giant fishbowl, pounding at the glass and calling for help as giant needles descended on him from all sides.  He barely noticed when they stopped and the cheerful police officer helped them out of the car.  “All right.  Let’s call your dad and get you home.”</p>
<p>“Roman?” Daddy Patton gasped when he picked up the phone.  “Remus?  Is that you?  Where’s Virgil?”</p>
<p>“He’s here too,” Roman said.</p>
<p>“Logan!” Daddy Patton called through the phone.  “Logan, come out!  It’s the boys!”  They could hear the thump of a door slamming open and hurried footsteps as Daddy Logan ran to the phone.</p>
<p>“What did you think you were doing?” he demanded.  “Do you know how worried we’ve been?  Where are you?  Oh, boys, why?  Why?”</p>
<p>“We had to, Dad,” Roman said quietly.  Remus shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor as the police officer in the room with them gave him a reproving look.  </p>
<p>“We,” Logan forced out eventually, “are going to talk about this when you get home.  Where are you?”</p>
<p>“The Freemont police station,” Remus said slowly.  “And, um, Dad?  Maybe don’t kill us, but Virgil got himself the tiniest bit arrested?”</p>
<p>There was dead silence for a few seconds.  “We’ll be there in half an hour,” Daddy Logan choked and the line went dead.</p>
<p>The twins looked at each other.  Roman shivered and hugged himself, scooching closer to Remus to whisper into his ear.  “Do you think we’ll go home tonight?”</p>
<p>Remus shrugged.  “I don’t know.  And your breath is gross.  It’s all hot and wet.”  Roman huffed in his ear again, but backed off.  And then there was nothing to do but wait.  They were told to sit in some hard plastic chairs, which was okay for a few minutes, but then got boring.  No matter how nicely they asked, the officer wouldn’t let them see Virgil or Janus.  She did bring them granola bars and water, but then she told them to sit back in their chairs to eat.  Remus started watching the clock and timing how long he could hold his breath.  He was up to twenty-three seconds when the door banged open and their dads ran in.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please note: self sacrifice is a horrible tactic, unless you're trying to get more people in hotter water.  And if someone is stubborn enough you're trying to out-stubborn them, you will fail.  I do not in any fashion recommend these as problem solving techniques.  </p>
<p>For any of you wondering why Janus isn't in handcuffs- those are usually metal, and he's shocking people when they touch him.  Therefore, an insulator covering his upper body.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. November 16, 2017, Part Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I swear this is the last part of November 16!  Author's honor!  And, good news, there should be two updates today unless something goes very wrong.  I still don't know about tomorrow, but today is fine.</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: police, imprisonment, self-blame</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dad!” Roman yelled, flinging himself from his chair and running to bury his face in Daddy Patton’s chest.  Remus was only a half-step behind him, clinging to his parents as they hugged him.  He felt warm, really warm, for the first time since they’d left that afternoon. It was all going to be okay.  It had to be.  But in a minute or two the hug broke up as Daddy Logan asked to see Virgil and another officer led him off.  Daddy Patton pulled up a bunch more chairs, made them into two bed-shaped things, and chivvied the twins into them.  </p><p>“It is way past your bedtime, boys.  Try to get some rest.”</p><p>They tried, they really did, but eventually they were just too nervous to sleep.  So the chairs were rearranged into something a bit like a couch and Daddy Patton told them stories until Roman drifted off on his shoulder.  “Tell me about the Wild Hunt, Dad,” Remus begged.  “Please?”  </p><p>Daddy Patton yawned.  “Little wolf, it’s late and I’m tired.”</p><p>“Can I tell you about it?”</p><p>“If you want.”  </p><p>Remus did, but after a few minutes he realized that his father was sound asleep.  His eyes were itching and he felt like he was going to fall over, but he couldn’t sleep.  He padded over to the door, checked to make sure Roman was out as well, and then slipped out of the room into the bright hallway.  It wasn’t hard to find Daddy Logan, who was just in the room down the hall.  There was a little window on the door, so of course any good explorer would have to look in.  Daddy Logan was talking to a police officer and another man in a black buttondown and jeans.  Remus looked carefully at that man.  Daddy Logan had said you could tell how serious someone was from their tie and their shoes.  But the man, who was probably a lawyer if cop movies were right, wasn’t even wearing a tie, and he just had on grey sneakers.  So he couldn’t have been very much of a threat.  </p><p>The hallway that had once led to the cells was blocked off with warning tape.  It was kind of obvious Virgil and Janus weren’t down there, so Remus turned around to try a different one, also lined with rooms.  There was a guard at the entrance, but he had fallen asleep.  Silent as a wolf, Remus tiptoed past him to peer in the little windows on the doors.  The lights were out, but he could see a camp cot set up in one room, with a shadowy figure curled on it.  It was too small for Janus, and he thought he recognized Virgil’s voice singing almost imperceptibly.  “Say something, I’m giving up on you.  I’ll be the one if you want me to.”  But the notes broke into soft, shaking sobs and, stomach heavier than lead, Remus walked on.  It was all his fault.  Janus had been arrested and Virgil was as good as dead and Daddy Logan would be arrested soon and then they would take Daddy Patton away with Virgil.  He’d broken their family and it was all his fault.  Suddenly he was very, very cold.</p><p>Janus was in the next room, seated on his cot.  His hair stuck up in the cowlicks that it had always had whenever he took off a hat.  There was a little more light in the room from a tiny window high in the wall that cast diamond shadows across the floor.  In the harsh yellow streetlight glow, Janus looked like a corpse- except for his fingers, which were weaving in and out of each other.  </p><p>“Janus?” Remus whispered through the door.  “JayLo?”</p><p>Janus sat bolt upright, then hurried over to the door.  “Remus?  What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Coming to talk to you.  Daddy Patton and Ro are both asleep and I’m bored and lonely.”</p><p>“Remus.”  Janus’s eyes through the window were old and tired.  “No.  Go back to Dad and Princey.  Get some sleep.  Just… stay away.”</p><p>“I’m not scared!”</p><p>“I know, Duke.  Sometimes you should run rather than fight.  Not even the bad guys with all the best powers can get the secret weapon all the time.”</p><p>“JayLo…”</p><p>“Look, Remus.  I did wrong, and I got caught.  Don’t feel bad about it.  It was my choice.  It was the right thing to do, but I still got in trouble.  I love you, little wolf, but you need to go back to Dad.  Be safe, okay?”</p><p>Remus jutted out his chin.  “Janus Lothur Sanders, you listen to me.  I am just as brave and just as smart and just as strong as you are.  If you can face the demons, <em>so can I</em>.”</p><p>Down the hall, the guard woke up with a grunt.  Both boys froze as he stretched, grunted again, and scratched, Janus’s wide grey eyes staring into his younger brother’s mismatched hazel and amber ones.</p><p>“Hey!  You there, what are you doing?”  </p><p>Remus flinched back from the door as if it had burned him and looked guiltily up at the officer.  Inside the makeshift cell, Janus had retreated to his cot again.</p><p>“Little brats, skulking around at all hours.  Move it, kid.  We’re going to talk to your dad.”  The officer followed Remus all the way back to where Daddy Logan was still talking to the lawyer and policeman.  “Mr. Sanders?  Is this your kid?”</p><p>Daddy Logan turned around.  “Yes, he is.  What’s happened?”</p><p>“I found him hanging around the cells.  Kid should know better.”</p><p>It made Remus’s stomach twist and clench to see how his father’s shoulders slumped.  “Yes, he should.  Come here, Remus.  Thank you, Officer.  I won’t be keeping you.”</p><p>“You’re welcome, Mr. Sanders.”  He left, and Daddy Logan pulled Remus onto his lap.</p><p>“Remus, really?  You’re supposed to be sleeping.”</p><p>“I couldn’t.”</p><p>“You should have stayed in the room anyway.”</p><p>“I know, I just… I miss Janus.”</p><p>“We all do, but you can’t go wandering around to find him.”</p><p>“Sorry, Dad.  But can I stay?  I don’t want to go back to Ro and Daddy Patton.”</p><p>Daddy Logan let out a huge sigh that ruffled Remus’s hair.  “Very well, but be quiet.”</p><p>Remus wrapped his arms around his dad and was asleep in minutes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. November 17, 2017</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Is it possible?  A chunk of time that doesn't get split for length?  Apparently so!  I mean, it's time and a half as long as last chapter, but it didn't break nicely, so here you go.  The song is Superman by Five for Fighting.  </p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: self-blame, food mentions, minor disturbing imagery, mentions of physical assault (not sexual), very brief mention of trafficking</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The car was unusually quiet on their way back home.  In the far backseat, Roman was dozing on the window while Remus alternated between watching his brother in the row in front of him and the snow-dusted scenery.  Daddy Logan and Daddy Patton were talking in soft whispers, the radio playing over their conversation.  Virgil was so silent he seemed to be an actual black hole for sound, his fingers rubbing restlessly on the box of the ankle monitor he was wearing.  His face was too pale and empty without his dark eyeshadow.  There was a giant hole in the life in the car right in front of Remus.  It was shaped like Janus.  Janus, who was still in Freemont, deemed too great a danger to be given bail.  Remus felt sick at the idea.  Janus gone and Virgil preparing for a hearing in two weeks, a hearing that could easily take him away from their parents- and it was his fault.  If he had been strong enough to stand up to Janus that night, if he had told Virgil not to go find him, or not to make that call, this might never have happened. </p><p>The song on the radio changed.  “I can’t stand to fly, I’m not that naive.  I’m just out to find a better part of me.”  Remus winced and tried to cover his ears, but it couldn’t drown out the music entirely as the lyrics started to float unbidden through his mind.  <em>Wish that I could cry, fall upon my knees, find a way to lie about a home I’ll never see. </em> It was true, though.  Janus- Deceit- lying when he had to and calling it good.  Virgil, too easily ripped away, like a scab that hadn’t finished healing.  And he and Roman wouldn’t be safe, either.  Remus wasn’t stupid.  They would want to test them, make sure that Daddy Logan wasn’t hiding any more Affinities.  And when they were caught they would be ripped away.  Maybe Daddy Logan and Daddy Patton would be separated, too. <em> I’m only a man in a funny red sheet, looking for special things inside of me.  I’m only a man in a funny red sheet and it’s not easy to be me. </em> Remus’s head fell back onto the window with a thump.  It could never be easy, could it?  He couldn’t be born a normal boy or do normal things.  He couldn’t even keep his crazy family together.</p><p><em>All of Me</em> started playing and Remus just stared miserably at the empty seat in front of him.  The mood was so dark in the van that Daddy Patton didn’t even start singing along, on-key or off.  Roman let out a little snuffling snore and smacked his lips, something that Remus would usually have laughed at, but he couldn’t bring himself to even smile.  Was this was Virgil felt like all the time?  Grey and flat and lifeless?  He hoped not.  He really did.</p><p>The car finally pulled into the garage and Daddy Logan turned around to look at the boys.  “Inside,” he said.  “We need to talk.”</p><p>It was a very shamefaced threesome that sat at the kitchen table as their fathers loomed above them.  Well, Daddy Logan loomed.  Daddy Patton stood back against the wall, looking equal parts exhausted and grief-stricken.</p><p>“Do you know how worried your father and I have been?  Sixty-three percent of Affinities aged ten to eighteen that run away from home are either arrested or trafficked.  Eighty percent of Affinities under the age of ten suffer the same fate!  And of the ones who are arrested, very few of them ever contact their families again.”</p><p>“We were scared, boys,” Daddy Patton said softly.  “After Janus… you left no note, you were just gone.  Why didn’t you come to us?  We’re your <em>parents</em>.  Could you really not trust us enough to ask for help?”  His voice rose, and he pushed away from the wall.  “Virgil, you know better than to take your little brothers off randomly without telling anyone.  Scratch that, taking them off anywhere whether or not you tell anyone, especially after dark.  What if they were caught?  And Roman.  Remus.  You both know better than to go with him.  Remus, what happened to being the voice of opposition to your brother’s crazy schemes?  Roman, you’re eight, not a royal prince.  You can’t go rescuing maidens.  What if your brother hadn’t recognized you when he did?  I would hope Virgil has enough sense to call before you froze to death, but I’m not entirely sure anymore!  Or what if Janus had hurt you?”</p><p>“That’s… not entirely plausible,” Daddy Logan said, looking mildly alarmed now.  Remus was squeezing Virgil’s hand beneath the table so hard he thought it might break.</p><p>“You are more mature than this!  You have to <em>think</em>, boys, do you understand me?  Wanting to find your brother is great.  Getting yourselves arrested is stupid.  And lying to your father and I about what you were doing so you could sneak off is just not acceptable!”</p><p>“Dad,” Virgil said.  He pushed himself up from the chair slowly.  “Janus is right.  He told me to stop being afraid of myself.  He told me to have the emotion and then decide.”</p><p>“You are off topic, Virgil.  This is not a referendum on whether Janus was correct, this is a discussion of the consequences for your actions, which were foolish and ill-considered.”</p><p>Virgil kept talking, his voice low and steady, though his hand was trembling in Remus’s.   “I think I’m glad I did what I did.  Sure, horrible things could happen.  But I’m an Affinity.  It’s kind of a fact of life that horrible things are going to happen to me-”</p><p>“<em>Falsehood!</em>” Daddy Logan cried.  “It is most certainly not!”</p><p>“Look at the facts, okay?  Three in four Affinities will be arrested before the age of twenty-five.  One in ten will disappear as a result.  Most Affinities have experienced some form of abuse before the age of seven as their abilities manifest.  We are beaten on the streets and people laugh, Dad.  They laugh at something we can’t control.  Registering- getting that Elemental tattoo- marks us out.  We’re required by law to do it.  There’s no happy ending for Roman here.  There’s none for me, or Remus, or Daddy Patton.”</p><p>“Kiddo-”</p><p>“Don’t ‘kiddo’ me, I’m serious.  Scaring you was unacceptable and I’m sorry for that.  But I’m not sorry for trying to find my brother, or for turning myself in.  I know you’ve tried to protect me, but this is my choice.  I’d rather be legal than a fugitive, no matter what that means.”  He sat down again.</p><p>“Your Honor, I rest my case.  Call the next witness,” Roman whispered.  Remus snickered.</p><p>Daddy Logan and Daddy Patton exchanged a long, unreadable look.  “Roman, Remus?  What do you have to say?”</p><p>Remus thought his twin would rise to their defense, but when Roman only stared at his lap, he decided he didn’t really have a choice.  “I’m sorry for scaring you.  We should have trusted you with what we were doing.  But the world doesn’t have a backspace key, so… I guess we all have to move on.”</p><p>“The prince scaled the castle,” Roman whispered.  “But he realized the witch had been singing all along.”</p><p>“What does that mean?” Remus frowned at his brother, but Daddy Logan pulled his attention away again.</p><p>“I’m very disappointed in all of you.  Remus, Roman, you’re going to spend the next two weeks doing school and helping Daddy Patton around the house.  No TV, no running off to play, no Thursday movie.  School, chores, and bed.  Virgil, you and I are going to clean out the attic whenever you’re not doing school as well.  We also have to remember to keep that monitor charged.  And before any of you ask, no dessert.  Don’t even try.”</p><p>“What about jam?” asked Roman.  “We can’t have toast without jam.”</p><p>“You can and you will.  Virgil, bring me the stash of Halloween candy that lives in your desk.  It shouldn’t be there anyway, you’re practically inviting mice to come crawl on your face.  And I’m going to check, so don’t try to say you don’t have it.”  As Virgil left silently for his room, Roman slid mournfully down on his chair until only his forehead was visible above the table.</p><p>“No dessert, no candy,” he sighed.  “No <em>Crofter’s</em> even.”</p><p>“Maybe you should have considered the consequences before you ran off after Janus.”  Daddy Logan crossed his arms.  “It is eight thirty in the morning and none of us have had breakfast.  We are going to eat before this conversation goes any further.  Virgil!  Put it in a gallon freezer bag and then put it in the freezer.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t want to eat a frozen Milky Way,” Remus said contemplatively as Virgil dumped an armful of candy into a bag.  “It would be too much like eating frozen poop.”</p><p>“Yes, we all know what you think of chocolate, Remus,” Daddy Logan said as Roman fake-puked and Daddy Patton hid his eyes with his hands.  “But try to keep your opinions to yourself until after we’ve eaten and had a chance for the food to settle.”</p><p>“Why?  I can’t imagine eating poop would be so bad.  It would be squishy and warm in your mouth-”</p><p>“Thank you for your contribution to the conversation, Remus.  Scrambled eggs or fried?”</p><p>“Scrambled.  Dad, are we going to be able to visit Janus?”</p><p>Daddy Logan cracked three eggs into a glass bowl before he finally sighed and looked up.  “Daddy Patton and I can.  I don’t know about you and Roman.”</p><p>Virgil made an angry noise and shoved himself back from the table.  </p><p>“Virgil, where-”</p><p>“I’ll be in my room.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. December 1, 2017, Afternoon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!  I struggled a good bit with trying to break this, and I'm still not totally happy with the placement.  But it is what it is.  I know this is posted way later than I usually do as well.  Sorry about that.  Hope you all enjoy!</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: some disturbing imagery, mentions of non-consensual body modification (tattoos)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’ll be in my room” was Virgil’s favorite thing to say over the next two weeks.  Remus gave up on trying to talk to him.  Roman spent most of his time staring at the corner humming Disney songs, so Remus left him alone too.  And there was apparently a limit to his dads’ tolerance of his- well, his existence.</p><p>---</p><p>“Remus, please cease your description of infected toenails.”</p><p>---</p><p>“Little wolf, can we talk about something nicer?”</p><p>---</p><p>“No, you may not put marshmallows in chocolate pudding to demonstrate what a dung heap crawling with maggots looks like.  I see through that trick to get sugar.”</p><p>---</p><p>“I love you, Dukey, but I don’t think drinking the toilet bowl cleaner is a good idea.”</p><p>“Can we feed it to a goldfish?”</p><p>“Absolutely not.”</p><p>---</p><p>“Can I eat dirt?”</p><p>“Physically speaking, you are capable of it, but no, you may not.”</p><p>“Can I feed it to a goldfish?”</p><p>“Absolutely not.”</p><p>---</p><p>Of  course, this did provide some entertainment.</p><p>“Dad?”</p><p>“What now?”</p><p>“Can I eat fish food?”</p><p>“No, Remus, I’m-”</p><p>“Can I feed it to a goldfish?”</p><p>“Absolutely not, Remus, now-”</p><p>“Dad!  I didn’t know you starved innocent fishies!”</p><p>“… What?”</p><p>“Bye!”  Remus ran off, laughing.  It was so normal to have Daddy Patton staring after him in confusion that he forgot all about the fact that Virgil’s hearing was today- until he bumped into Daddy Logan, who was on the phone.</p><p>“We’re leaving for the courthouse now.  Yes, thank you, sir.  I will see you when we get there.  Yes.  Goodbye.”  He hung up and looked down at Remus, straightening his tie.  “Do watch where you’re going, Remus.  Virgil!  We’re leaving now!”</p><p>Virgil ran downstairs in a weird combination of hoodie, dress shirt, tie, and jeans.  His hair had been neatly brushed into his eyes and he was wearing fresh eyeshadow.  Remus hugged him tightly.  “The scary bad guys do too win sometimes,” he said.  “Only nobody ever writes down that story.”</p><p>“Thanks, Duke.  I’ll see you in a few hours.”  He ruffled Remus’ hair and turned to Daddy Logan.  “You have everything?”</p><p>“We don’t need much.  Remus, let him go now.”  Remus backed up, then threw his arms around Daddy Logan.</p><p>“Virgil’s coming home, right?” he whispered.  “He’s gonna come home?”</p><p>“Of course.”  </p><p>Remus stepped back and watched as his dad and brother disappeared.  He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong.  That Virgil’s pinned-back shoulders and forced calm were the beginning of a storm.  He shook himself.  That was ridiculous.  There was a line between having an imagination and predicting the end of the world.</p><p>“The wind is howling like this swirling storm insi-i-ide.  Couldn’t keep it in, heaven knows I tried,” Roman sang, running around the corner.  “Reemsy, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“I have a bad feeling,” Remus said.  “A really bad feeling.”</p><p>“Probably too much gross stuff.  Come on, Daddy Patton wants us to fight the evil carpet!  To get dust out!”</p><p>“I thought you vacuumed carpets?” But Remus followed his twin anyway.</p><p>“Yeah, but this is more fun.”</p><p>Beating the carpet with baseball bats was definitely more fun.  Especially when Roman snuck around the back side so they could duel with each other.  Secretly play fighting was way more awesome than regular play fighting.  Remus buried his face in his arms to hide his laughter and Roman whacked him on the butt, which hurt a little but was mostly even funnier.  He gave up on keeping it quiet and sprawled on his back, panting with giggles.  Roman lay down next to him and started trying to tickle his ribs, so Remus gave him a wet willie, and when he jumped about three feet in the air shrieking in disgust, Remus only laughed harder.  Roman jumped on him in revenge and they started wrestling, stopping every few minutes to catch their breaths through the laughs.  Eventually, Remus couldn’t see anymore from the tears and they flopped down together, staring at the sky.  Remus picked a piece of dead grass and started braiding it into Roman’s hair.  </p><p>“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, medicine go do-own, medicine go down,” Roman sang softly.  Remus wove another bit of grass into his brother’s bangs.  They kept on like that, Roman humming or singing bits of songs and Remus adding more and more dead grass to his twin’s hair, until the side of Roman’s head could pass for a badly thatched roof.  </p><p>“Boys, come in here for a minute,” Daddy Patton said.  When they came in, though, he looked at Roman and yelped.  “Don’t shed on the floor!”</p><p>Remus fell into the wall with laughter as Roman ran a hand through his hair and came away with a giant handful of grass, which he promptly dropped on the floor in shock.</p><p>“That’s exactly what you weren’t supposed to do,” Daddy Patton sighed.  “Brush it off outside, Ro.”</p><p>When Roman had de-grassed himself and Remus had caught his breath, they sat down at the kitchen table.  “Virgil’s hearing went well,” Daddy Patton said.  “Daddy Logan just called.  He has to register as an Affinity, which we expected, but he can come home and he doesn’t have to wear the ankle monitor anymore.  They’ll be back around dinnertime.  As part of registering, Virgil’s going to get a tattoo on his face.  It’s going to look pretty weird and gross for a while, and I need you two not to make a big deal about it.  Virgil’s really scared.  Daddy Logan and the judge and the lawyers talked about you two as well, and that went better than we were hoping it would.  Virgil’s pretty much the size he’s going to be, so he can get a permanent tattoo, but you can’t.  We’re going in next week to register both of you and get some temporary tattoos.  They’re going to be sticky and kind of weird, but you’re going to have to put up with it.  Sorry about that.”</p><p>Remus shrugged.  “It’s okay.  Is that what the thing on your face means?  That you’re an Affinity?  Is Virgil’s and mine and Roman’s going to look like that?”</p><p>“Yes, yes, no, probably no, no.  This is an Earth symbol.”</p><p>“What do the others look like?” Roman asked.  “What am I?”</p><p>“They’ll do tests, but you’re almost certainly a Fire Affinity.  The symbol looks like this.”  Patton drew a stylized flame on a sheet of paper next to him.  “And Air is a curl, and two lines, like so, and Water, which I think is Virgil, is a little like a hurricane.”  He sketched out the other two shapes, and tilted the paper so Remus could see them properly.  They weren’t that ugly, honestly, but Remus still didn’t want a brand on his cheek for the rest of his life.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. December 1, 2017, Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't have all that much to say here.  The social justice part of this fic is strong this chapter.  Have fun reading!</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs:  brief mention of a desire to die (not suicidal thoughts/ideation), police mentions, food mentions, skipping meals</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They played Sorry and then Daddy Patton went to go start dinner while the twins played a game of Quirkle.  Roman won, but Remus was too distracted to care.  Not even The Lion King could drag his thoughts away from Virgil, who was probably hurting really badly and crying and scared, with nobody there for him.  Well, he had Daddy Logan, but he didn’t really have anyone, like Remus or Roman or especially Janus.  Janus always knew what to say.</p><p>“When’s Janus coming home, Dad?” Remus asked.</p><p>Daddy Patton sighed.  “I don’t know, little wolf.  He’s set to have a trial in six months.  We found a lawyer, and she’s optimistic that we can get him a plea bargain that would let him come home after Christmas.”</p><p>“I wish I were really a prince,” Roman muttered.  “Then this would all go away and we could just be normal again.”</p><p>“It means no worries!” Timon sang onscreen.  “For the rest of your days!  It’s our problem-free philosophy!  Hakuna Matata!”</p><p>“Hakuna matata,” Remus repeated, then pushed himself off the couch.  Maybe he could build a tower with Legos or something and it would distract him.  </p><p>“D’you want to help make the salad, kiddo?”  Daddy Patton asked.</p><p>“No thanks.  I’m going to my room.”</p><p>“Okay, but come talk to someone if you need anything.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Remus turned off the light and stared at his own hand in the dark, trying to imagine it without a ghostly green glow.  He couldn’t.  He couldn’t imagine Virgil laughing until he cried, either, or Roman roasting marshmallows without the flames acting out his thoughts.  It was weird, the Affinity thing, but he still didn’t understand why it was bad.  What was wrong about your shadow waving to you? Well, sometimes it did things it really shouldn’t, like stick out its tongue, but overall it was just kind of funny.  And glowing didn’t hurt anyone, or moving fire that stayed in the fireplace, or a storm.  At least, a storm without lightning.  </p><p>He put his other hand up beside the first and made a wolf with his fingers, then a bunny, and made them chase each other around and around.  Eventually, his arms dropped back to his sides and he just stared at the ceiling.  He heard the garage door opening and his dads and Roman talking.  Someone walked up the stairs.  The door to Virgil’s room shut with a creak- snap sound.  Remus just sighed.  Maybe he could lay here in bed and die.  He didn’t want any of this to happen.  At all.</p><p>Virgil didn’t show up for dinner, which was almost totally silent.  Nor did he appear for breakfast in the morning.  Even Roman seemed to feel how unhappy everyone was and stopped singing and even quoting Disney movies, which only made it all worse.  Remus could have done with some Moana.  That night, he slipped out of his room and hid behind the couch to watch the news.  Half of it was about Deceit and, to his surprise, the other half was about Virgil.</p><p>“In a startling plot twist, Deceit was not only captured, but discovered not to be an Affinity at all.  He does have three siblings, all of whom are Affinities and who have been successfully hidden from everyone for eight years.  This is disconcerting to say the least, but it raises another question just as important: how many Affinities are there really?  How many have managed to disappear off the radar in fear of the discrimination and violence they face in society?  As of tonight, Deceit, who has been identified as the seventeen-year-old Janus Sanders who went missing almost a month ago, is facing charges of breaking and entering as well as assisting in the escape of lawfully detained prisoners.  His trial is scheduled for April twenty-fifth next year, but a plea deal is in the works that could result in Mr. Sanders’ emancipation as early as Christmas.”</p><p>“That’s very interesting, Ashley, but what about the protests that erupted across America today after this footage of Mr. Sanders and his twelve-year-old brother went viral?” a second anchor asked.  Remus looked up at the screen, which showed a grainy yellow video of a familiar parking lot.  There was no sound, but it was clear that Janus and Virgil were fighting before Virgil called the cops.  “This was taken from a security camera scheduled to be removed the next day.  Mr. Sanders, in conversation with his lawyer and officers, confirmed that his brothers went looking for him, and when they found each other, he and his oldest sibling talked before the brother called the police.  The dispatch record shows that he did not call to report Deceit, but himself.  The younger Mr. Sanders was placed under house arrest and forced to wear an ankle bracelet for two weeks.  With his registration today, the monitor was removed.  I have to ask- what sort of society are we that doing that to a twelve-year-old is appropriate?  And the greater question is of course what the Sanders case will mean for the future of Affinities in America.”</p><p>“Remus, out,” Daddy Logan said.  “The clicking is getting annoying.”</p><p>Remus hadn’t even realized he’d been clicking his tongue.  He crawled out from his hiding spot.  “Sorry, Dad.”</p><p>“I know it’s late, but if you want to watch you might as well sit on the couch,” his dad continued.  “Patton is unlikely to murder me for letting you stay up.”</p><p>Remus hopped up next to Daddy Logan, and together they watched the news people talk about the protests.  By the time the show ended, the chant of “Free Dee!  Let our boys walk!  Free Dee!   Let our boys walk!” and the posters of a snake-person were so burned into his brain they were never coming out.  He fell asleep on the couch, his head resting on Daddy Logan’s shoulder.</p><p>                                                                                                                                                 JANUARY 14</p><p>Fifty-seven days after he had disappeared, Janus walked back into his own house, ten pounds lighter, but wonderfully, beautifully there.  That night, at the first real family dinner they had had in much too long, Daddy Logan told them that he was charged with refusal to register Affinities in his household.  The trial was set for May seventeenth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. May 17, 2018, Part 1- Logan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm going to slow down to one chapter a day because I'm still trying to edit this part.  As the sheer number of unfinished stories in my computer can attest, I'm garbage at ending things, so if anyone has any resources on how to pace endings, or any tips or concrit or anything, please, please post them in the comments.  </p><p>I would also like to note that any knowledge of law I have comes from Legally Blonde and my (slightly worrisome) Google search history.  This will not be particularly accurate and isn't meant to be.  Finally, I am shamelessly using crossover characters from some of my favorite books, so a shout-out to anyone who knows them.  Have fun reading!</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: mention of physical assault</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Remus squirmed on the hard bench, staring at the empty chair where the judge was going to sit.  He had had to sit on his hands to keep himself from picking at the delightfully peely, stretchy temporary tattoo on his cheek.  The dark green shirt and black tie were stiff and uncomfortable, and next to him, Roman looked no happier in red and white.  Virgil wore the same hoodie/jeans/shirt-and-tie mishmash he had at his hearing, and he stared straight ahead, shaking slightly.  “You’re going to do great,” Daddy Patton said.</p><p>“It’s fine if you’re nervous,” Janus’ and now Daddy Logan’s lawyer, Ms. Ghafa, said, turning around in her seat.  “Rollins doesn’t pull his punches.  Just remember that he’s doing this for the money and we’re fighting for something very real.  Even if we don’t win this, we’ll have an appeal to the sentence.  The media is on our side, Virgil.  So are the people.  We have this.”</p><p>“Thank you, Inej,” Daddy Logan said.  “I know this is a rough case.”</p><p>“I met Kaz with a case much nastier than this, Logan.  He was happy enough that he proposed.”</p><p>“That’s romantic,” Daddy Patton said, but he was cut off by the bailiff.</p><p>“All rise.  Department Five of the Court of Aster County is now in session, the honorable Reynard Muldoon presiding.”  </p><p>They all got to their feet, and a very average-looking man came out and sat in the judge’s chair.  “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  Please be seated.  Calling the case of the People of Aster County versus Logan Sanders.  Could we get started with introductions, please?  For the prosecution…”</p><p>A big, red-faced man in a green suit stood up with two others behind him.  “Good afternoon, Your Honor.  I am Pekka Rollins.  I will be conducting the direct examination of Officer William Brown and the cross-examination of Janus Sanders and Virgil Sanders.”</p><p>“Good afternoon, Your Honor.  I am Jan Van Eck, and I will be delivering the opening statements, as well as conducting the direct examination of Chief of Police Todd Jamison.”</p><p>“Good afternoon, Your Honor.  I am Cornelis Smeet and I will be delivering the closing statements and cross-examining Logan Sanders and Patton Sanders.”</p><p>“Thank you, gentlemen.  For the defense?”</p><p>“Good afternoon, Your Honor.  I am Inej Ghafa and I will be conducting the direct examination of Janus and Virgil Sanders and delivering the closing statements.”</p><p>The lawyer Remus didn’t know stood up.  “Good afternoon, Your Honor.  I am Jesper Fahey and I will be conducting the direct examination of Logan Sanders and the cross-examination of Chief of Police Todd Jamison.”</p><p>Ms. Zenik stood up, her red hair already trying to fall out of its tight bun.  “ Good afternoon, Your Honor.  I am Nina Zenik and I will be delivering the opening statements and conducting the cross-examination of Officer William Brown as well as the direct examination of Patton Sanders.”</p><p>“Thank you, ladies and gentleman.  Would the defense present their opening statements?”</p><p>Remus slumped into Janus as Ms. Zenik droned on about rights to protest and the someteenth amendment and the specific loophole in such and such law.   Janus kept trying to explain it to him, but the courtroom was hot and Remus hadn’t slept the night before, so he mostly half-lay on his brother and tried not to take a nap.  Then Yawn Van Ick, as Remus had named him, started talking about duties of a citizen and bad parenting and potential danger, which was stupid.  Surely they wouldn’t have done anything different if he and his brothers had been registered.  He didn’t even know he’d passed out until Janus shook him awake.  “I’ll have to go up in a few minutes, so try not to conk out on my shoulder again, okay?”</p><p>“I’d like to call Logan Sanders up to the stand,” Ms. Ghafa said.  Daddy Logan stood and walked to the witness stand, setting his left hand on the Bible there.</p><p>“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“Please state your first and last names for the record.”</p><p>“Logan Sanders, S-A-N-D-E-R-S.”</p><p>“Thank you.  Please be seated.”</p><p>Daddy Logan sat down and Mr. Fahey got up, coming to stand in front of him.  “Your Honor, Logan Sanders is the registered head of the Sanders household.  Okay, Logan, when did you know that Virgil, your second son, was an Affinity?”</p><p>“He was four,” Daddy Logan said.  “He began crying during the night while there was a freak thunderstorm.  When my husband went to comfort him, Virgil’s eyes were glowing blue.  As soon as he calmed, they became brown again and the storm stopped.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you register him immediately?”</p><p>“We made the decision to let him grow up a little first.  He was too young to be given a permanent tattoo, and we also wanted the timing to be his choice.”</p><p>“You homeschooled Virgil, Roman, and Remus, but not Janus.  Why?”</p><p>“Janus had friends at school.  Pulling him would have been very disruptive.  We couldn’t send Virgil or the twins to school because they weren’t registered at that time.”</p><p>“Why was registering them so repellent to you?”</p><p>“I found the restrictions placed on registered Affinities to be in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment and, a week prior to Remus’ manifestation, Patton was waylaid and assaulted while on his way to the grocery store.  We decided that whatever their choices would be when they were older, our boys would not grow up with that fear hanging over their heads.”</p><p>“That violence is still quite common against Affinities today.  If this hadn’t all happened, when would you have made sure that Virgil, Roman, and Remus registered?”</p><p>“Patton and I had already started talking to Virgil about it.  We wouldn’t have forced him into doing anything, but we would have told him it was a requirement to take the exams he needed to get into college.  We would have done the same for the twins.”</p><p>“No further questions, Your Honor.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mr. Fahey.  Mr. Smeet, you have the floor.”</p><p>“Thank you, Your Honor.  Logan, did you know you were legally required to register the Affinities in your household at the time the first child manifested?”</p><p>“Yes, but-”</p><p>“Did you do so?”</p><p>“No, though-”</p><p>“Did you register as a homeschooling parent with the state of Massachusetts?”</p><p>“Patton was in-”</p><p>“Did you, Logan Sanders, register as the homeschooling parent with the state of Massachusetts?”</p><p>“No!  As I said, Patton was the boys’ teacher and the registration is primarily in his name.”</p><p>“Did you know that Affinities are not legal guardians of the children they may have?”</p><p>“Yes, but-”</p><p>“And thus your registration was invalid, was it not, Logan?  And did you know it is legally required that all children be given an education whether in school of the parents’ choosing or at home with the proper paperwork, of course?  And because of that, you were illegally hiding children in your house?”</p><p>“The registration allows the legal guardian of the child or children in question to name a teacher.  My paperwork was not invalid, thus I did nothing wrong.”</p><p>“The witness relies heavily on minor loopholes to conceal his wrongdoing, Your Honor.  It is clear that he and his spouse had little in the way of a plan to register their children despite the very real public hazard of this choice.  No further questions.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mr. Smeet, Mr. Sanders.”</p><p>Daddy Logan came back and sat down and sent a long, unreadable look to Daddy Patton.  “Your Honor,” Ms. Ghafa said from her seat, “I’d like to call Janus Sanders to the stand.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'll ask again- any tips on pacing conclusions?  Please comment if you know something!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. May 17, 2018, Part 2- Janus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!  I'm still not happy with this, but I really don't want to start skipping updates.  Any concrit/tips are super welcome!  </p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: referenced physical assault (non-sexual), discussion of emotional suppression and <em>very</em> unhealthy coping techniques (looking at you here, Virgil).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Janus straightened his black bow tie, checked his sleeves, and practically sauntered to the witness stand.</p><p>“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>“Please state your name for the record.”</p><p>“Janus Sanders.  J-A-N-U-S S-A-N-D-E-R-S.”</p><p>“The first name was unnecessary,” Judge Muldoon remarked dryly.  “Ms. Ghafa, you may proceed.”</p><p>“Thank you, Your Honor.  Janus, let’s start at the beginning.  What was it like when Virgil first showed his Affinity?”</p><p>“I don’t remember very well.  I was nine at the time.  What I remember is Virgil crying one night and in the morning, my dads were doing everything they could to keep him calm.  Virgil hasn’t cried since he was four.  Or if he has, I don’t know about it.”</p><p>“When did you know it was an Affinity?”</p><p>“It was a few years later.  He and I were playing with Roman, because we’d just adopted again, and he looked me dead in the eyes and said, ‘I’m a witch, be nice or I’ll smoosh you.’”  The courtroom laughed quietly, and Janus waited for them to stop before he continued.  “Well, I asked him what he meant, and he said he had storm magic, and he was maybe six, so I asked my dads, and they said he had an Affinity.  I didn’t really care for a while, and then I saw my father come home crying with boot prints on his face and a set of broken ribs.  That was when I decided nobody would ever do that to my baby brothers.”</p><p>“Could you describe your relationships with your parents and brothers to us, Janus?”</p><p>“Absolutely.  I love Roman, but we’re almost more friends than anything.  I hang out with him and we play games, but he mostly does his own thing or plays with Virgil.  Virgil has always been special to me.  We’re the closest in age, and he’s my confidante for almost everything.  He was.  Really close.  And Remus isn’t so much my brother as my shadow.  He’s weird, he’s gross, he’s random, and he’s absolutely wonderful.  I’ve tried to be everything for him.  I screwed it up, but I tried.  I respect and love my dads.  They do their best.  We fight kind of a lot because I just don’t agree that asking politely will change anything about Affinities and the way they’re treated, but I still love both of them.”</p><p>“Thank you, Janus.  One last question- we’ve all heard in theory why you became Deceit, but really why did you do it?”</p><p>“I watched Virgil.  He was asking about Affinities, what they mean, all that, and then he just googled it.  And then I saw him using a pillow to smother himself so he’d stop crying.  It just all stacked up.  I couldn’t protect them the way things were, so something had to change.  I thought if people would listen to what I had to say, they’d know what it meant.  I thought I could change things.  I was desperate and nothing was working and Remus was starting to ask those same questions.  So yeah.”</p><p>“To clarify- you chose to be Deceit to get media attention for the plight of Affinities, especially children?”</p><p>“Yes, that is correct.”</p><p>“Thank you again, Janus.  No further questions, Your Honor.”</p><p>“Thank you, Ms. Ghafa.  Mr. Rollins, the floor is yours.”</p><p>“Thank you, Your Honor.  Janus, when you broke into the Freemont County jail, were you aware your actions were illegal?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And you still did it?”</p><p>“Obviously.”  Remus hid a snicker; Janus had a perfect Snape voice.</p><p>“Please refrain from impressions of Severus Snape in this courtroom, Mr. Sanders, or I will have you removed for contempt of court,” Judge Muldoon sighed.  “Continue with your questions, Mr. Rollins.”</p><p>“Yes, Your Honor.”  Rollins ran a hand over his vast middle.  “Did your parents never teach you not to break the law?”</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>“So you knew that what you were doing was wrong?”</p><p>“I knew it was illegal.”</p><p>“That doesn’t answer the question, Janus.  Did you know that breaking into the jail was wrong?”</p><p>“Please define wrong for me, Mr. Rollins.”</p><p>“Morally wrong.  Need I go further?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Then let me ask again- did you know that breaking into the jail was morally wrong?”</p><p>“Morality and the law are two different things.  It was my moral responsibility to help those unjustly imprisoned.”</p><p>“They were lawfully arrested for failing to register, much like your own brother.  But let me be clear here- you think that the laws of this country are morally wrong?”</p><p>“No, not-”</p><p>“Then how can you say that what you did was morally right, if breaking the law is morally wrong?”</p><p>“That’s not-”</p><p>“Objection!” Mr. Fahey said, standing.  “Janus’ guilt for his previous actions has already been decided and his moral compass is of no consequence to this court.”</p><p>“Objection overruled.  I think I know where he’s going.  Mr. Rollins?”</p><p>“You just said, and I quote, ‘Morality and the law are two different things.’  Am I correct?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Thus morality is outside and superior to the law?”</p><p>“Not necessarily.”</p><p>“So the law is higher than morality?”</p><p>“Again, not necessarily.  They’re totally different.”</p><p>“So therefore, if it breaks a law, an action is not necessarily wrong?”</p><p>“Maybe not, but-”</p><p>“Thank you, Janus.  Your Honor, I think we can all see from this conversation that Janus, whose beliefs have been shaped greatly by his parents, doesn’t think breaking the law is wrong.  In fact, he thinks it is his duty to break the laws if his conscience demands it.  These are the actions of a vigilante, not a functioning member of society.  Logan Sanders has failed, as a parent, to impress the value of the law into his children, and, furthermore, has taught them it is acceptable to break the laws when it is convenient.  No further questions.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The guy cross-examining Janus is more in character for canon Janus than the character Janus is.  I give up on myself.  Have a great rest of your day and thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. May 17, 2018, Part 3- Patton</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Look at who's posting at a reasonable time!  My question for the world: How long can a Remus sit still and pay attention?  My guess is ten to fifteen minutes if it's interesting, but I'm going off my own brain at eight for that.  The trial continues- and Patton should probably learn that you maybe aren't supposed to tell the other side they're right in a debate.  You aren't supposed to heavily imply it, either.  Just saying.  Whoops, I'm rambling.  Have fun reading!</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: descriptions of bullying, explicit- ability-ism?  The whole Affinity thing, but really bad.  Worse, anyway.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Janus slid out of the chair and came to sit next to Remus, giving him a quick hug.  Remus frowned.  His brother’s ribs were still uncomfortably prominent and poky, but at least he was there.</p><p>“Your Honor, I’d like to call Chief of Police Todd Jamison to the stand.”  </p><p>“Hmph,” Remus said into his brother’s jacket.  “Stupid.  I wanna leave until interesting stuff happens.”</p><p>“No, Remus.”</p><p>“Can we play on your phone?”</p><p>“I don’t have one right now, and if I did I still wouldn’t let you.”</p><p>“Even if I didn’t make us die creepily?”</p><p>“Even then.  Come on, sit up and pretend you can pay attention.”</p><p>“It’s still boring.”</p><p>“Daddy Patton’s up next.  You want to listen to him?”</p><p>“Not really.  He talks enough at home.  I wanna go home.”</p><p>“Remus, hush,” Daddy Logan ordered.  “Be respectful.”</p><p>“Still boring.”</p><p>“Practice your sitting-through-long-dinners face, Duke.”</p><p>“Ugh.  Fine.”  Remus shoved himself upright and put on a blank, patient expression.  But even after Yawn Van Ick and Mr. Fahey swapped places, he was still bored.  It was all he could do to not start picking at the thing on his cheek.  Janus slipped him a piece of gum with a soft “Be quiet, bud,” and the sweet mint flavor occupied him until Ms. Ghafa called Daddy Patton up.</p><p>“Patton Sanders.  Do you want me to spell my last name or do you have it?”</p><p>“I think we know it by now.  Thank you, Mr. Sanders.  Ms. Zenik, if you will.”  Judge Muldoon sat back in his chair with a soft, tired sigh.</p><p>“Hey, Patton.  Could you tell the court when your Affinity manifested itself?”</p><p>“Sure thing.  I was six and I built a sand tower at the park that didn’t fall down even though it was as tall as I was.  My parents took me in to get tested and I had temporary tattoos until I was fourteen, when I got the real deal.”</p><p>“What was it like to grow up as an Affinity and go to school with that mark on your face?”</p><p>Daddy Patton looked down at the witness stand.  “It wasn’t fun,” he said eventually.  “The government was starting to play around with segregating us.  I was the only Affinity in my whole class.  I was bullied constantly until I went to an all-Affinity high school, and then I was treated like a criminal.  The classes were bad, the teachers were worse.  I didn’t try to go to college.  I met Logan when I was twenty and… he was the first person that looked at me and saw a human.  We were married two years later and I moved in with him.”</p><p>“I’m sorry to make you relive this, but what sort of bullying did you encounter?”</p><p>“I was shoved into lockers and trash cans.  My classmates stole my homework.  I’ve lost count of how many times I had my head stuck in a toilet.  When they realized my Affinity, they started holding my face down in the sand pit.  I was tripped and called names and beaten up.  I went without lunch more often than not, first because someone would take it and then because I stopped packing it.  It was awful.”  Daddy Patton didn’t look up.  His voice was flat and exhausted, like he was reciting a grocery list after a long day.  Somehow, that only made it hurt more.  Remus tried to imagine happy, smiling, loving Daddy Patton with his head in a toilet.  He couldn’t.  How could anyone do that to him?</p><p>“Thank you, Patton.  I know this is hard.  What did you think when Virgil manifested?”</p><p>“I was delighted for a second.  I’d never had anyone growing up and my son would.  Then… I realized what the world would do to him and I just wanted to cry.  My beautiful, bright baby, crushed and told he was worthless.  I couldn’t watch him fall apart.”</p><p>“So you and Logan hid him from the world?”</p><p>“We chose to homeschool him to protect him.  I guess we did kind of hide him.  We just wanted him to know that there was a place he was loved and accepted, even when nobody else did.”</p><p>“Did you suppress his Affinity?”</p><p>“We didn’t buy drugs or something like that.”</p><p>“Janus said that Virgil never cries.  We know that his Affinity is emotionally triggered, so my question is this- did you teach Virgil to stuff down his emotions to control his Affinity?”</p><p>“I didn’t mean to.  I was scared.  If someone figured it out, it wouldn’t matter what we did.  I taught him to be calm.  I taught him to control himself.  I guess, in the end, though, I did hurt him.”</p><p>“I’m not trying to blame you, Patton.  I’m trying to make sure we understand.  Can you tell us what happened when the twins, Roman and Remus, manifested?”</p><p>“They did it a year apart, to start.  Remus went first.  His shadow did things it shouldn’t and then a while later he began glowing a little in the dark.  It was a few months before that settled, and then Roman started glowing, like his brother had started him.  Virgil thought it was great.  Janus had figured out what Affinities were and he got super protective.  I think he was more vigilant than me or Logan for the first couple of years.  We tried to hide them too.  We kept them inside after dark and didn’t let Roman around fire when there were other people.  We didn’t have many people over, either, because it could upset Virgil.  I thought we were doing the right thing, but maybe Janus is more right after all.”</p><p>“I’m going to stop you there, Patton.  Thank you.  Your Honor, no parenting choices are perfect.  Logan and Patton Sanders tried to protect their children as best as they could by keeping them out of the world that hated them, much as a different set of parents would try to keep their children from watching R-rated movies or seeing violence and crime.”</p><p>“Objection,” Yawn Van Ick said, coming to his feet.  “That is speculation and flimsy logic.  Hiding your children away from society is very different from trying not to expose them to inappropriate material until they are old enough to process it safely.”</p><p>“That’s exactly what the Sanders parents were doing, Mr. Van Eck.  They were sheltering their kids from the inappropriate influences of society until they were old enough to handle it and move on.”</p><p>“It’s very different.  Sex, violence, drugs- these are all things that can be avoided.  What the Sanders children are can’t.  They are Affinities.  They will never not be Affinities.  That is reality.  Trying to hide it from them is delusion and insanity and-”</p><p>“Order,” Judge Muldoon said, rapping his gavel on the desk.  “Mr. Van Eck, please contain the blatant classism until you have left this courtroom.  Ms. Zenik, do you have a point?”</p><p>“Yes, Your Honor.  Logan and Patton Sanders acted in the best interests of their children in trying to keep them away from the world.  This is not a fundamental failure as a parent, it is the very duty of that role.  No further questions.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. May 17, 2018, Part 4- Virgil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!  And look, I have a chapter estimate!  (About time.)  Coming up: more smartass Sanders kids and, of course, more angsty backstories.  It's normal to put those in the epilogue that's a third of the whole story, right?  Right.</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: anxiety, referenced child abuse- for more details, see the end notes</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I don’t like him,” Remus whispered to Janus.  </p><p>“Who, Judge Muldoon?  He seems decent.”</p><p>“No, Yawn Van Ick.”</p><p>Janus had stifle a snort of incredulous laughter.  “I’m sorry, <em>who?</em>”</p><p>“Yawn Van Ick.  The guy who was mean to Ms. Zenik.”</p><p>“Yawn Van… Remus.  Really?”</p><p>“Well, he’s boring and icky.  Why not?”</p><p>“You can’t go around insulting people.”</p><p>“But it’s true.”</p><p>“You still can’t do it.”</p><p>“Boys, be quiet,” Daddy Logan whispered to them.</p><p>“Yawn Van Ick,” Remus muttered in his brother’s ear.  Janus hid his mouth with a fist, trying to pull his lips back into a somber straight line.</p><p>“Janus!  Is something funny?”</p><p>Janus straightened up and shook his head, all traces of smile gone.  “Yawn Van Ick,” Remus said again.</p><p>“You are annoying.”</p><p>“No, I’m Remus.  You want the third door on the left.”</p><p>Janus sighed and turned his attention to Van Ick, who was grilling Daddy Patton about homeschool and how much time they spent around other kids.  He couldn’t find anything bad about their education, though he did try to complain about keeping them locked up, to which Daddy Patton said that other kids were homeschooled too, which Remus thought was a decent defense, all things considered.</p><p>The nice officer was next, and he blabbered about how uncomfortable Roman and Remus had seemed around him.  Remus rolled his eyes.  Of course they were uncomfortable, they had just watched both their brothers get shoved into police cars, it was winter, and they were unregistered Affinities.  Nobody would be happy or whatever then.  Thankfully, Ms. Zenik seemed to read his mind, as she started asking the officer more detailed questions and it was pretty clear they were just stressed.</p><p>As the cross-examination wound down, Virgil started getting more and more anxious.  His leg was jiggling and his breath was coming in smaller and smaller pants.  By the time Ms. Ghafa called him up, Remus was pretty sure his brother might actually pass out.  “Don’t worry, Virgil.  It’s all going to be fine,” she assured him as he walked to the stand.</p><p>“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”</p><p>“I do.”  Virgil’s voice was very small in the silent courtroom.</p><p>“Please state your name for the record.”</p><p>“Virgil Sanders.”</p><p>“Mr. Sanders, would you like a drink of water?” Judge Muldoon asked kindly.  “Would that help you a little bit?”</p><p>Virgil shook his head and stared down at the mic in front of him.</p><p>“Hi, Virgil,” Ms. Ghafa said.  “You know the drill by now.  How much do you remember of manifesting?”</p><p>“I was four,” Virgil said, so close to the mic he was almost kissing it.  “I don’t remember anything at all.    I remember Daddy Patton used to tickle me until I cried sometimes and then he didn’t.”</p><p>“What do you remember about Roman and Remus manifesting?”</p><p>“I remember Remus yelling that he glowed in the dark.  I remember they came into my room to have a sleepover and Roman was flashing in and out and Remus thought it was hilarious.  I don’t remember a lot else, to be honest.”</p><p>“That’s fine, Virgil.  What does it feel like now to be an Affinity?”</p><p>“Objection, leading the witness-”</p><p>“Objection overruled, Mr. Smeet.  Please continue.”</p><p>“I feel dirty.  And gross.”</p><p>“Can you explain that?”</p><p>“I… I grew up believing that if you worked hard and you did your best, then you had a chance.  And this thing on my cheek means that I don’t get the chance to even try.  It makes me mad, but also- I don’t know.  Like I’m a failure and useless.”</p><p>Daddy Patton let out a tiny unhappy noise and Roman hugged him tightly.</p><p>“Changing topics completely, what do you study in school?”</p><p>“Math?  And writing and history and science and the twins do art.”</p><p>“What are you doing in math and science?”</p><p>“I’m learning algebra and we’re talking about volcanoes.”</p><p>“Algebra?  Really?”</p><p>“The nice thing about being homeschooled is that you can go as fast as you want,” Virgil said dryly.</p><p>“That’s fair.  Have you ever wanted to go to a public school?”</p><p>“No,” Virgil said.  “I’m happy just on my own with my brothers.”</p><p>“Do you have frie-”</p><p>“I’m going to have to stop you there, Ms. Ghafa, because I think you were about to say the f-word in relation to me.  No, I don’t.  And I’ll keep it that way.”</p><p>“Mr. Sanders, please.”  Judge Muldoon looked like he was getting ready to brain himself with his gavel. “Control the sarcasm.”</p><p>“We’re almost done, Virgil.  Just a few more questions.  Whose idea was it to go after Janus?”</p><p>“Roman’s?  Or maybe mine?  Remus helped too… I don’t know.  It was kind of all of us.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell your parents?”</p><p>“They wouldn’t have let us go wandering around a strange town hoping to run into our brother.  It was a dumb plan, okay?  So we took the bus so they wouldn’t know. Then we could actually do something.”</p><p>“To clarify, your parents wouldn’t have wanted you to behave recklessly and endanger yourselves?”</p><p>“We weren’t going to die, we were fine.  But yeah, pretty much.”</p><p>“Were they angry?”</p><p>“Yeah, but it was still okay.  They got that we were really upset and scared and stuff and were good about that.”</p><p>“All right.  Thank you, Virgil.  No further questions, Your Honor.”</p><p>Ms. Ghafa sat down and Mr. Rollins got up, smiling kind of scarily.  Remus seized Janus’ gloved hand and held it tight.</p><p>“”Thank you, Your Honor.  Virgil, you’re twelve, correct?”</p><p>“Thirteen, my birthday is in December.”</p><p>“Thirteen already?  Time does fly.”  He laughed, his belly jiggling like an evil green Santa Claus.  “You were twelve last November, weren’t you?”</p><p>“Well, I don’t know.  Does November come before or after December?”</p><p>“Mr. Sanders, this is the second time.  Answer the questions and please hold back on the sarcasm.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.  Yes, I was twelve.”</p><p>“Why did you go after Deceit?”</p><p>“We needed him back.  Everyone was mopey and depressed, which was annoying.”</p><p>“It sounds like you have a close family.”  Virgil didn’t respond, so Mr. Rollins sighed.  “When you got home, what happened?”</p><p>“We got told off, and then we got grounded- okay, I kind of couldn’t leave the house already so it was pointless, and then we didn’t get dessert for two weeks and we had to do extra chores.  We probably would have helped with it anyway, so it wasn’t like it was a big deal.”</p><p>“What did you help with?”</p><p>“Sorting through old boxes of baby stuff in the attic to figure out what to donate.”</p><p>Mr. Rollins paused for a moment, apparently unprepared for such a normal, boring task.  “Did your parents do anything else to you?”</p><p>“No, why?”</p><p>“They didn’t yell at you, or hit you, or lock you in your room?”</p><p>“No!  That’s awful!”</p><p>“Changing topics, were you aware that what Deceit had done was illegal?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“And you just wanted to get him home?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“With no regard to the law?”</p><p>“Objection, Your Honor.  This is ridiculous.  A twelve-year-old is not responsible for carrying out justice.”  Mr. Fahey shook his head.  “My colleague should know that.”</p><p>“Nor is a seventeen-year-old, and you supported Janus Sanders.”</p><p>“This question has already been decided, gentlemen.  Mr. Rollins, leave off trying to make Virgil out as immoral.  A desperate twelve-year-old is not rational.  Mr. Fahey, do yourself a favor and try to refrain from leaping out of your seat again.  Can we please continue?”</p><p>“Yes, Your Honor.  I have no further questions.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mr. Rollins, Mr. Sanders.  Each side now rests their case.  If the prosecution could present their closing remarks?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Child abuse tag- nothing's happened, Rollins is trying to prove that Logan and Patton abuse their kids and Virgil is like 'no, that's awful, why would they do that?' but I wanted to put it there to be safe.  Also, it's totally canon that Virgil becomes a snarky donkey's backside when he's on edge.  Just saying.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. May 17, 2018, Part 5- Closing Statements</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy 2021, everyone!  Here's to less of a disaster than last year!  (My inner Logan and Virgil are saying 'That cannot be where the bar is.')  I hope you all have a great New Year's and you stay safe.  Final chapter will be out tomorrow.</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: I don't think there are any?  Tell me if I need to add any.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Thank you, Your Honor,” Mr. Smeet said, standing and smoothing down his jacket.  “The accused, Logan Sanders, has knowingly and in full realization of the gravity of his actions, refused to register his children as Affinities.  He has also kept said children within the house, and has not permitted them to go to school or to have friends.  This is barely a step above neglect of their emotional well-being.  What’s more, he allows his husband, an Affinity, to run the household.  Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is a danger to the children.  They need to grow up around their peers.  They need to have an accurate understanding of the social hierarchies in this country, and in this country, Affinities do not run anything.  It’s against the very fiber of their beings.  I ask that you vote guilty, and rescue the Sanders children from their so-called father’s influences before irreparable damage is done.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mr. Smeet.  We will now hear the closing remarks of the defense.”</p><p>Ms. Ghafa stood up and checked her mic.  “Thank you, Your Honor.  Logan Sanders has tried his best to parent in a difficult world.  We are not kind to Affinities.  We’ve heard today how brutal it is to grow up with that ability hanging over your head.  Patton Sanders told us about the way he was bullied as a child, and in the last twenty years we’ve only become crueler.  Logan Sanders’ decision to wait to register his children is not a breach of the law, it is acting in their best interests.  As it regards the homeschooling, he tried to hide his children from the deeply scarring discrimination they would face in a public school system- they face it even in this very courtroom.  It’s not ideal that children should be isolated, but the Sanders case is special, and as always, our focus should be on the kids’ well-being.  Let there be no doubt, they’re happy, they’re well-fed, they are warm and loved and cared for.  Your Honor and members of the jury, Logan Sanders should keep his children for their mental and physical safety.  Furthermore, he has made it clear that he did indeed plan to register Virgil, Roman, and Remus when they were old enough to understand what that meant and could deal with it in a healthy manner.  I ask today that you vote not guilty.  Thank you.”</p><p>“Thank you, Ms. Ghafa.  Members of the jury, you now have all the evidence offered in this trial.  It is up to you to decide whether or not the defendant is guilty of the charges of refusing to register Affinities and is an unfit parent.  You must come to a unanimous conclusion.  In a moment, the bailiff will lead you to the deliberation room to make your decision.  Are there any questions?”</p><p>A murmur of “No, Your Honor” echoed around the room and Judge Muldoon knocked his gavel against the desk.  The jury followed the bailiff out into the hall, and once they had gone, Ms. Ghafa gathered up her papers and turned around in her chair to talk to Daddy Logan.</p><p>“If you want, Logan, Patton, Jesper can run the boys home.”</p><p>“I can drive,” Janus snipped.  “I’m almost eighteen.”</p><p>“Roman, Remus, Virgil, do you guys want to head home?” Daddy Patton asked.  “It may be a while before the jury has a verdict.”</p><p>“We should stay,” Virgil told his shoes.  “Family sticks together, right?”</p><p>“You don’t need to, Virgil,” Daddy Logan said.  “Staying is completely optional at this point.  If you want to go home and rest, you absolutely can and should.”</p><p>“I want to stay,” Roman said.  “I want to know what happens.  Remus, you’re staying, right?”</p><p>Remus shrugged.  “Guess so.  Can we go find all the vending machines while we’re waiting, Dad?”</p><p>Daddy Patton gave him a weird look.  “If you take Janus with you.  And don’t buy things from them, either.  You don’t need that much sugar in your systems.”</p><p>“Okay, thanks!” Remus said.  “C’mon, Princey.”  </p><p>Roman grinned back at him.  “Death to the Dragon-Witch.”</p><p>“Boys, don’t get rambunctious,” Daddy Logan warned.  “This is a courthouse, not a playground.”</p><p>“Yes <em>sir</em>,” the twins said, saluting.  They each grabbed one of Janus’ hands and started dragging him towards the doors.  </p><p>“I should make sure they don’t do anything too stupid,” Virgil sighed, and hurried to catch up.  Remus grinned at him and grabbed his hand.</p><p>“Onwards, brave Virgil!”</p><p>“On second thoughts, I should have stayed with Dad,” Virgil moaned, but squeezed back anyway.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. May 17, 2018, Part 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, this is it.  The last chapter.  I'm putting some acknowledgements and an author's note at the end if you want to read them.  I'm also thinking about writing a few one-shots set in this universe as part of a continuation/exploration, so if there's a scene you wanted to see from a different character's perspective, or some background, or a what if, let me know in the comments and I'll try to do something.  Enjoy the story!</p><p>~Dreamer</p><p>TWs: food mentions</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were five vending machines on the ground floor.  Despite what Daddy Patton had said, Janus got them each a thing of gummies, and Remus bit into two of his worms and pretended they were fangs, chasing Roman around until Virgil whacked him on the ear with one of his.</p><p>“Simmer down, Duke, this isn’t the backyard.”</p><p>“Why you bullying me?” Remus whined, plopping into a chair near Janus and chomping the end off one of his impromptu fangs.  </p><p>“I think somebody doesn’t know what bullying is,” Janus said.  “Roman, the gummy worm isn’t a sword, you can’t fence with it.”</p><p>“Ooh!  Duel!” Remus said, but his oldest brother’s hand closed around his arm and dragged him back to the chair.</p><p>“Sit.  Stay.  Good boy.”</p><p>Remus barked and Janus rolled his eyes.</p><p>“You have your own candy.”</p><p>“Give good doggy tweat?  Pwease?”</p><p>“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  Janus nipped the head off a gummy bear and chewed it slowly.</p><p>“Can I have one of your gummy bears for being a good puppy?  Pretty please with a coronary on top?”</p><p>“You are not a good puppy,” Janus sighed.  “Give me the gummy worms and we can play Dog, though.”</p><p>“You can’t eat my candy!”</p><p>“I’m not going to.  Hey, Princey, you wanna be a puppy?”</p><p>“Woof!” Roman agreed, bouncing over and handing Janus his bag of snacks.</p><p>“Good boy, Princey.  Turn around!”</p><p>The game kept them occupied for the next twenty minutes, and Remus had just swallowed his last gummy worm (whole, because it grossed out Virgil) when Daddy Patton came around the corner.  “Jury’s back, boys.”</p><p>They all shot to their feet as though they’d been shocked.  Janus dropped the empty bag in a trash can and they slipped inside the courtroom.</p><p>“Is the jury ready to make their decision?” Judge Muldoon asked.  A younger man in a blue suit coat stood up in the jury box thing.</p><p>“Yes, Your Honor.  The verdict is-”  Remus grabbed Janus’ hand, squeezing it hard as he held his breath-</p><p>“Not guilty.”</p><p><em>Not guilty.  Not guilty.</em>  The words seemed to ring around the room like the echo of a bell.  Daddy Logan slumped in relief, and Daddy Patton grabbed him in a tight hug.  Virgil laughed, Roman seemed ready to start jumping up and down, and Janus just smiled and nodded.  Well, if his brother could play it cool, so would he.  Remus tried his very best to look incredibly bored as Judge Muldoon dismissed them.</p><p>“You’re invited over for a party,” Daddy Logan called to Ms. Ghafa and Mr. Fahey.  “Nina too, and if Kaz or Wylan want to come, they’re welcome to.”</p><p>“Party!” Roman screeched, leaping into the air.  “Party party PARTY!!”</p><p>“Pump the brakes, Princey,” Virgil grouched, snapping his fingers next to his ear.  “You’ll permanently damage my hearing.”</p><p>“Nuh uh.”</p><p>“Uh huh!”</p><p>“Nuh uh!”</p><p>“Uh huh!”</p><p>“Boys, stop.”</p><p>“We’ll see you in half an hour, Inej!”</p><p>“Bye, Logan.  Bye, Pat.  See you soon!”</p><p> </p><p>The car was unusually noisy on their way back home.  In the far backseat, the twins sang a parody of Mother Knows Best entitled 'Van Ick is Dumb.’  The roadsides were covered in celebratory yellow dandelions waving in the afternoon breeze.  Daddy Logan and Daddy Patton were actually swapping puns, something so weird Remus couldn’t quite process it.  Virgil was chattering, actually <em>chattering</em> to Janus, who was slotted once more right where he was supposed to go.  Suddenly, Remus couldn’t bring himself to regret a single thing about that awful night.</p><p>Mr. Fahey and his boyfriend Wylan were the first to show up.  Wylan immediately started up some dance music, and Roman organized a game of ‘Daddy Logan <em>and</em> the Floor are Lava,’ which involved jumping around the furniture while avoiding both the floor and their parent’s grasping hands.  When Ms. Ghafa, her husband Kaz, and Ms. Zenik arrived, they turned the news on too, where there were apparently parties in the streets across the country cheering the verdict.  “It’s one more step towards Affinities’ rights!”  a newscaster yelled over the chaos.</p><p>“It’s one more step to human rights!” Kaz yelled back, shaking a gloved finger at the TV.</p><p>“You know,” Janus said, “that is an idea.”</p><p>“What, yelling at the TV?” Remus asked, climbing onto his brother.</p><p>“Ow, that’s my rib.  No, the gloves.  And the hat.  I’d look stylish, don’t you think?”</p><p>“Yeah, but I think I like you just the way you are.”</p><p>“Well, it’s hard to argue with that.”</p><p>Across the room, Mr. Fahey put his tie around his head so it hung over his ear.</p><p>“Come on, Logan,” Ms. Zenik said.  “Loosen up a bit.”</p><p>“This is ridiculous.” </p><p>They all turned to watch as, under their combined stare, Daddy Logan loosened his tie, lifted it up, and tightened it around his forehead.  “How is anyone supposed to take me seriously like this?” he complained, flapping the blue cloth around by his left ear.  </p><p>“You look adorable!” Daddy Patton squealed, jumping in for a kiss.</p><p>They kept partying until almost ten, when the twins and Virgil were finally sent to bed. </p><p>“We did it,” Janus said, raising a glass of juice towards the three of them.  “We made people think.  Nothing’s going to be the same again.  It’s hurt, and it’s been hard, but we did it.  We fought for you.  And we will keep fighting until you no longer need us to fight.  Until you can be who you are and you make no apologies for that fact.  Because you deserve that.  To Virgil!”</p><p>“To Virgil!” everyone called, lifting their cups.</p><p>“To Roman!” </p><p>“To Roman!”</p><p>“To Remus!”</p><p>“To Remus!”</p><p>“And to every human everywhere, that we recognize their value, whatever their abilities or race or gender!”</p><p>“To us!” they all repeated, downing whatever they were drinking.</p><p>“And now,” Daddy Patton said, “it’s really time for you three to get to sleep.”</p><p>Despite the noise of the party, Remus passed out within a couple of minutes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Acknowledgements: noun.  The bit at the back of the book that everyone skips because it's heartfelt and boring.  Still, I have to thank people for this story even happening.  First, to my best friend, who put up with my incoherent ramblings about Sanders Sides until I had enough of an idea to start writing.  Next, to everyone who has read this fic, commented, bookmarked, or left a kudos.  This is the first multichaptered story I'm still proud of even after posting, and your support is a huge part of that.  Thank you.</p><p>Make No Apologies was inspired, as I've mentioned, by What You Can Stand, ManyFandomOneLog's brilliant fic.  Virgil's struggle with his power made me wonder- what if all superpowers were feared?  Would having a superpower make you so different that you weren't even human?  I also wanted to tell this story through the eyes of a child, and not just any child.  I wanted to tell the story of a naive, creative kid with weird interests that just didn't quite understand <em>why</em> he was different, a kid who questioned everything.  I wanted to tell the story of a family that fought for each other, a story with parents who were good people and kids trying their best to be.  Most of all, I wanted to tell a story that made people question what makes us different.  I hope I succeeded. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>  <em>When the sharpest words wanna cut me down</em><br/><em>I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out</em><br/><em>I am brave, I am bruised</em><br/><em>I am who I'm meant to be, this is me</em><br/><em>Look out 'cause here I come</em><br/><em>And I'm marching on to the beat I drum</em><br/><em>I'm not scared to be seen</em><br/><em>I make no apologies, this is me</em></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hi everyone!  This isn't an actual chapter, it's just a heads-up.  I've started posting the one-shots for this universe if you're interested.  The first is called 'What If' and it's Logicality.  Anything you want to see, let me know in the comments here or over on the one-shot.  Have a great day!</p><p>~Dreamer</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading!  Concrit is appreciated!  (But don't bruise my ego too badly, I've only got the one ;) )</p></blockquote></div></div>
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